After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone
by WolfMoon
Summary: Part two of the After the Dawn Saga, showing Harry's first year in Hogwarts after being raised by his godfather instead of the Dursley's. Read After the Dawn: The First Years first! Making friends, new and old, learning lessons somewhat differently
1. Birthday Boy

**_DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE READ "After the Dawn: The First Years" OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT MAKE SENSE!!_**

**NOTE ON THE TITLE**: I'm Australian, and go by the British version of the books, therefore it is the Philosopher's Stone, not the Sorcerers Stone, just to iron out any confusion, and for people who didn't see the notice at the bottom of the last chapter of The First Years.

**_Disclaimer_**: events of this story closely follow those of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', by J. K. Rowling. These events, along with the characters, settings and main plot line are the property of J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, and all other companies involved. I own nothing.

**__**

**_After the Dawn: Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter One: Birthday Boy

 Sirius slunk silently into his godson's bedroom. It was only about six in the morning, the world was still dark, for the sun had not yet chosen to come out. 

 It was the thirty first of July. Harry's eleventh birthday, and Sirius intended to get his godson back for all the times he'd been woken up at ridiculous hours of the morning to do obscure things like snowball wars, playing chess, and staring at fires.

 He did not turn the light on when he entered the room – nothing was going to give away the game until he woke up his godson he own way.

 He crept silently to the bed, there was Harry, lying curled up tightly, his back to Sirius, sleeping soundly. Sirius bounded forwards in a suddenly swift movement and wrenched the covers off his godsons sleeping form.

 For a July morning, it was rather cool, so he was sure that his godson would be shocked awake – if he wasn't … Well, Sirius had been prankster once, and he hadn't given up yet!

 But just as Sirius threw back the blankets, surprise registered on his face before a ghastly half-roar half-yell echoed from behind him and something thudded into his back.

 "Ahh!" Sirius yelped, toppling forward on the bed, his face buried in the pillows he'd taken to be his godson's sleeping form.

 "Gotcha!" Harry laughed from Sirius's back. "I really surprised you that time, didn't I Sirius! Didn't I?"

 "Yes," Sirius muttered into the pillows. "You certainly did."

 Suddenly he rolled over, trapping Harry beneath him, and tickled the eleven year old unmercifully. Harry shrieked with laughed protests, and finally managed to slip away from his godfather, only to lie panting on the bed, trying to stop laughing.

 "Well, you're eleven years old mate!" Sirius said, grinning. "Your first 'coming of age', and your acceptance into Hogwarts."

 "But I won't be able to go to Hogwarts, not really," Harry pointed out.

 "It'll work you," Sirius promised his godson. "You're enrolled there, of course, but you can't go as you … Leave it to your godfather – Padfoot knows what he'd about!"

 "So what are we doing today?" Harry asked.

 "We're going to Diagon Alley," Sirius replied. "I'll buy you a pet to take with you to Hogwarts as your main birthday present, and your wand, and then we'll come back and have a party here, how's that sound?"

 "Good enough for me," Harry replied happily, bouncing to his feet.

 "Then get dressed and meet me in the dining room for birthday breakfast before we go," Sirius told him with a smile, leaving his godson to follow the instruction.

 Ten minutes later Harry joined Sirius in the dining room.

 Harry was wearing long baggy black pants, a tight black t-shirt with '_Rebel_' written across it, and his hair was spiked up. 

 "Nice," Sirius said, nodding approvingly. He liked to think that he'd given Harry at least _some of his taste in Muggle clothing – he remembered the first time that Lily had taken him and James shopping in 'Muggle Land,' as they'd jokingly called it. He'd picked out similar clothes that time, as had James. Lily had laughed at both of them._

 Harry smiled faintly at his godfather, settling down to eat a hearty breakfast before they left. 

 After breakfast they Flooed from Potter Mansion to the Leaky Cauldron, though they had to assume disguises. Harry now had blue-grey eyes with hints of green, his hair had lengthened to his shoulders, and was neat and mainly straight, and become a dark brown.

 His ears seemed to be a little pointed, and he had 'grown' two centimetres. His body seemed part-way between the change from childhood to adolescence already.

 Sirius had medium brown hair, which was cut short, and sapphire eyes. He was a little shorter than he normally was, and the shape of his face was subtly different. 

 He was calling himself Patrick, and Harry was still Harry. 'Patrick' was Harry second cousin – or at least, that was the story.

 "Now, into Diagon Alley," Sirius murmured, leading Harry into the back yard of the Leaky Cauldron. It had been a _long time since Harry had been in Diagon Alley, and he didn't completely remember it, so he was looking forward to coming again._

 Sirius rapped the brick that would open the gateway sharply with his wand, and stood back with Harry to watch the wall shift into the entrance to the famous wizard street, Diagon Alley.

 Harry and Sirius meandered down the street, Harry looking at everything he could. "You should have brought me here before," Harry complained quietly, trying to look at everything at once.

 "Come on, we have to get to Gringotts," Sirius replied, but he was smiling. "And don't worry, we'll be coming here more often in the next few years."

 Harry nodded. "Gringotts is the bank, right?" he asked, "run by goblins?"

 "Yup, that's right. It's the big white building down there," Sirius pointed it out.

 "How are we going to get money from your account, won't they know who's it is?" Harry asked quietly.

 "No, I made mine a 'silent' account when I first got it. It's only got a number, not a name," Sirius replied. "Yours, on the other hand, is under the family name, and that's what you'd asked for."

 "Oh," Harry said, nodding his understanding as the stepped up to the first set of doors. There was a goblin standing there, and it bowed, pushing the bronze doors open.

 Ahead of them were silver doors, engraved upon them in beautiful script that Harry couldn't help but read was:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits of the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn,_

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

 "Goblins are very protective of gold, whether it is there's or not," Sirius murmured. "If they found anyone trying to take gold that wasn't theirs … The results would not be pretty."

 "It must be the safest place on earth," Harry murmured, as a pair of goblins waved them through the doors into a huge marble chamber.

 "Nah," a voice from behind them interupted the conversation. Harry turned to see a huge man walk into the room, his beard a fierce tangle that mingled seamlessly with his hair. Harry thought he could see black eyes dancing cheerfully somewhere in the wild hair.

 "What?" Harry asked, confused.

 "Gringotts aint quite the safest place on Earth," the giant man replied. "Tha'd be Hogwarts. 'Scuse me," he walked up to a free goblin.

 "Who was that? You look like you know him," Harry murmured to Sirius. 

 "That's Hagrid. He's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts," Sirius replied softly. "Absolutely loyal to Dumbledore, and not without reason either."

 Harry caught a fragment of the conversation going on between Hagrid and the goblin, "Dumbledore … me for … you know what … vault you know which…" he was interested, but the conversation seemed to end here.

 As Hagrid made his way from the counter, Sirius and Harry stepped quickly forwards to take his place. "Hello, we'd like to take some money from vault number seven hundred and eleven," Sirius told the goblin, producing a slim golden key.

 The goblin took it, examined it carefully, then nodded grudgingly. "This appears to be in order. Griphook!" he waved them away as another goblin appeared, leading them towards one of the many doors that went off the sides of the great chamber.

 Griphook, the goblin, opened the door, and Harry was a little surprised to find a dark, dingy looking passageway lined with railway lines after the bright marble of the other room.

 Griphook whistled, and a small, rickety cart came up to them, and they clambered into it and took off. Harry made sure to keep his eyes open, despite the stingy, looking at everything.

 "What's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?" Harry called to Sirius as they passed over a deep chasm. "I never can remember it."

 "Stalactites cling _tight_ the ceiling," Sirius called back. Harry nodded his understanding, fixing the phrase in his mind.

 A moment later they came to a halt outside of a vault. Griphook to Sirius's key and opened the door. Harry smiled slightly at the amount of money that was within the vault. Sirius would be able to live off that very comfortably for the rest of his life – easily. 

 Sirius filled several sacks full of coins. "I mightn't be back this way for awhile, I like to be prepared. Now, what are the coins worth?" he asked Harry.

 "Bronze Knuts are lowest," Harry replied dutifully, "then silver sickles. There's twenty nine Knuts in a sickle, and seventeen sickles in a gold galleon."

 "Good," Sirius nodded approvingly. "Now, let's get back to the sunlight, we've got shopping to do."

 "You sound like a mother," Harry said, grinning.

 "I never said what kind of shopping. Shopping for pranks is quite different to shopping for books or robes," Sirius replied with a sniff as they climbed back into the cart.

 Griphook took them hurtling back up to ground level, where they thanked him politely (he just sneered at them, somewhat unpleasantly), and left.

 As they were walking towards the door, the man Hagrid came hurrying towards them, looking a little green and somewhat nervous – he kept glancing around him.

 As he passed Harry and Sirius, he stumbled slightly over a step and something fell out of his jacket, sliding a halt just in front of Harry. The boy picked up quickly – it was a small package rapped in dirty brown paper which looked quite unremarkable. 

 Harry dusted it off and quickly offered it back to Hagrid. He was fairly sure that this was what the man had picked up just then in the vaults, because it had a number stamped onto the underside of it, which Harry had noted while he was dusting it off – _V. 713. Harry was certain this stood for vault seven hundred and thirteen._

 "Thank yeh kindly," Hagrid said, taking the package from Harry and carefully examining it, as if to be sure that it was not broken. 

 Harry just nodded. 'Welcome," he replied. But his mind wasn't on the words he spoke, but rather on the half overheard conversation between Hagrid and the goblin – the _you know what in vault _you know which_. He would have bet anything right now that vault 'you know which' was seven hundred and thirteen._

 "Come on, we'd best get the boring stuff out of the way," Sirius decided, leading Harry over to the shop called 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'.

 Harry pretended to make a face, though really he didn't mind that much. "Hello," a cheery witch greeted them at the counter. "How can help you? Hogwarts?"

 "Yes," Sirius replied. "We require the usual Hogwarts garb for my cousin. Can I leave him here for a moment while I go and get something else?"

 "Of course dear," the witch replied. "We've another lad being fitted up right now. Come on, round the back and we'll see what we can do."

 Harry wasn't sure what Sirius was doing, but waved as his godfather departed anyway – he was fairly sure that by the time he was out of the robe shop Sirius would be back, and would explain it.

 Out the back, the other lad was standing on a stool. His face had an cold, aristocratic expression, and he looked quite bored with the current goings on.

 "Hello," he drawled at Harry.

 Harry just ducked his head slightly in greeting – he didn't like that tone, nor did he like the face that he was confronted with. 

 "Are you going to Hogwarts?" the boy asked as a black robe, quite a bit too long, was dropped over Harry's head.

 "Yes," Harry replied shortly. This did not deter the other boy at all.

 "First year?" he enquired.

 "Yes," Harry replied.

 "Same. My father's next door buying books, and mother is at Olivanders looking at wands," the boy continued. "As soon as I'm out of here, I'm dragging them over to look at the new Nimbus Two Thousand … Do you own a broom?"

 "Yes," Harry said wearily, wishing the other would take a hint and stop talking.

 "Play Quidditch?"

 "Yes …"

 "So do I. Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house team," the boy said, sounding proud.

 "Really? Well, you won't have a chance till second year anyway – we aren't even supposed to bring brooms to school with us," Harry pointed out.

 "I'll try and smuggle one in somehow. When they see me fly, they'll _have_ to put me on the team. Seeker, I should think," the boy said. "What are your parents doing?"

 "Lying six feet underground," Harry growled, temper slightly frayed.

 "Oh, sorry," the boy said, though he didn't sound it. "But they were _our kind, weren't they?"_

 "Yes," Harry replied, wishing once more that the boy would take a hint and shut up.

 "They shouldn't let the other sort in, I don't think. They aren't brought up to know about us, and you never know how many Muggles they might tell about our world. Father hates them, Muggles that is, and I must say, I agree with him."

 So, he was talking with a pureblood who's father could quite possibly be a Death Eater. Harry shrugged non-commitantly, not sure if he wanted to insult the boy or not.

 "What house do you think you'll be in? I think I'll be in Slytherin, all the Malfoy's have been," the boy added.

 So, Harry thought. He was talking with a Malfoy. He'd heard about the Malfoy family – they had a very dark name. "I'll probably be a Gryffindor. My parents both were, and so was my second cousin, he raised me," Harry said coolly.

 "Oh," the Malfoy said, and this seemed to shut him up … For a moment. "So, what's your last name?"

 "You're done dear," the witch told Harry suddenly. "Your cousin is waiting out the front to pay for you."

 Harry hopped down from the school, glad of the excuse to avoid the other's questioning.

 Sirius paid the witch calmly and steered Harry from the store. "Make a friend?" he asked Harry.

 "Huh?"

 "The boy out the back – did you make a friend of him?"

 "He was a Malfoy," Harry replied.

 "Ah, I take that as a 'no', then," Sirius said.

 "Yup," Harry replied. "He hates Muggles, and he's probably never even met one."

 "Of course not – Malfoys' always deem that beneath them," Sirius replied matter-of-factly. "Now, I've got your list … Don't look at me like that, what do you think I was doing while you were getting robes? – and we'll go the bookstore now."

 "Don't we have most of the books at home?" Harry asked.

 "Most of them? No. We've got _A History of Magic, __One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and __Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, but there are five others on the list we don't have," Sirius replied._

 Harry nodded and walked with Sirius to the shop _Flourish and Blott's_, which appeared to sell books.

 Sirius and Harry stayed only to get the required books, then left again. Harry was sure that his library at home would have most of the interesting books on the list.

 "Now, we have plenty of cauldrons back home, and telescopes, but we may as well buy you some nice scales and phials, so we need to go to the Apothecary."

  This trip also didn't take long, and Harry was out of the shop before he'd even had a chance to look around. "Now, pet … I think you may as well get an owl, since they carry post. There are a few back home, but you want one that is really _yours_. Sirius will be going with you as well, I'd expect."

 "Of course," Harry agreed. Sirius was saying that he'd come with him in dog form to school, and Harry was glad of it – he didn't want to be alone in the huge castle, as he was already fairly sure that he would not make many, if any, friends among the students for sometime, if ever.

 "So, to _Eeylops Owl Emporium_," Sirius said, pointing Harry in the correct direction.

 The first sensation upon entering the store was that of darkness. A warm, friendly darkness filled with rustlings. Harry and Sirius prowled through the rows of owls, looking for one that stood out to them as the 'right' one for Harry.

 Finally, Harry selected a 'bubo coromandus', or dusky eagle owl. It had pale brown and grey feathers and _brilliant amber eyes. "That one's only been in the stall for a few days," the clerk remarked cheerily. "You were lucky you didn't come much earlier!"_

 Harry nodded politely while Sirius gave over some money. "Well, that's everything but a wand now," Sirius said to Harry as they walked into the sunlight.

 Harry nodded and smiled. He'd been looking forward to getting a wand – one that felt _right_, as no other that he'd lifted had.

 They walked in the dusty shop named _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC_.

 A bell rang somewhere in the distance as they entered Mr. Ollivanders shop. Sirius waved Harry into the single rickety chair and faded into the shadows himself, before returning to Harry's side as Padfoot. Harry was unsure why this was, but he would be able to question Sirius later on.

 A moment later a short pale man with glasses that made his eyes bulge stepped into the room and made his way over to Harry.

 "Hello there," he murmured, peering closely at Harry. "Hmm … You don't seem familiar? Your parents anyone I'd know?" he asked.

 "No," Harry said nervously. "We aren't from this country."

 "Ah, that would explain it. Where are your parents?"

 "Having a drink in the Leaky Cauldron," Harry replied, making it up as he went along. "They thought that I could find a wand on my own."

 Mr. Ollivanders nodded absently. "Which is your wand hand?"

 Harry gave him a slightly confused look, then smiled faintly. "I use either," he replied.

 One pale eyebrow raised slightly. "Really? Well, this should provide a challenge. Stand straight!" he said.

 Harry did so quickly, and Mr. Ollivanders whipped out a tape measure and started measuring Harry's arms, hands, fingers … soon, he left the tape measure to it's own work (Harry wasn't sure _how the measurement of between his nostrils would help anything)._

 A moment later the old man waved a hand and the tape measure crumpled to the floor. He walked over to Harry and offered him a wand.

 Harry touched his finger tips to it, and shook his head. "It doesn't feel right," he told the man, who seemed delighted by this reaction.

 "How do you know?" he asked, putting the wand down. "The moment I gave it to you, I didn't think it was right, but …"

 "I have held my parents wands," Harry replied. "They didn't feel right either."

 Mr. Ollivanders nodded and went back to the shelves, coming back with an arm full over about five different wand boxes. "Here you are then, try these!" 

 Harry touched his fingers to each of the five and shook his head for all of them. Mr. Ollivanders pranced off looking for other wands, appearing positively delighted.

 "Well," he said twenty minutes later as the pile of rejected wands rose. "You _are_ a tricky customer."

 At that moment someone else walked into the shop – a young girl with frizzy brown hair. "Well … two customers at once! How interesting," the store owner murmured. He turned to Harry. "As I haven't been able to find you a wand, why don't you go and see if you can locate one," he turned his attention to the new girl.

 "Sir, will that dog hurt me?" she asked nervously, pointing at Sirius.

 "Not if you don't hurt him first," Harry called over his shoulder and he walked down the rows of wands, his fingers trailing across the boxes.

 Within them he could sense the wands, and in each of them was that same 'wrongness' that he had always felt. At the very back of the store, he found a dusty corner that seemed to have been left alone for a long time.

 He knelt, feeling drawn to it, and touched his hand to the single wand that lay there. He smiled – this was it. He lifted the box and walked back to the front of the store. "This one," he said to Mr. Ollivander. The brown haired girl had already left, it seemed. 

 "That one?" Mr. Ollivander looked more than a little surprised. "Well, that one has been sitting there for a _long time. A very unusual combination – ebony and phoenix feather, ten inches, nice and supple. A good dueller, that one. I hadn't expected it to ever sell, and it wasn't you that I had thought would buy it."  _

 He looked hard at Harry. "Curious," he murmured.

 "What is?" 

 "That anyone should buy this wand. Well … I suppose it isn't really, but I hadn't thought …"

 "What is curious about it?" Harry asked again.

 "The phoenix that gave it's feather for this wand gave one other … That other resides in the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named – yew, thirteen and a half inches," Mr. Ollivander replied. "I remember every wand I have ever made, and those two were possibly the best of them all. I think the world can expect great things of this, and of you. It's brother did great things, terrible, yes, but great."

 "Interesting," Harry murmured. He was beginning to think that this wand _had_ been intended for him – though under a different name. His real one.

 He paid for the wand with handful of galleons and walked out in the sunlight. Sirius followed a dog still. They walked together through the archway and found themselves standing alone in the little back yard of the Leaky Cauldron, where Sirius quickly transformed.

 "Come on," he murmured. "Let's be off – we can unpack this stuff at home and find the rest of the books and things you need."

 Harry nodded. He could question his godfather at a later date.

***

Well, how was that? It was nearly 4000 words for a start! *grins*. As may have been noticed in the chapter above, I am keeping loosely to the books, but adding things and changing things at the same time.

 Please review and let me know what you think of the new part of the 'After the Dawn' series! I'll update after I've gotten at least 30 reviews – but that won't be hard, you guys CONSTANTLY give me more than I'd think you would *grins*

~WolfMoon~


	2. Month in the Mannor

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Two: Month in the Manor

 Harry remembered little of the rest of his birthday, it had been spent in a pleasant daze of cakes, unpacking, talking with Sirius and his parents' pictures.

 The rest of that month he remembered in greater detail than possibly any other time that he had spent in the Manor – it was his last month here before he would go to Hogwarts.

 "Come on Sirius!" Harry called on the first morning of August, standing at his godfathers door – today he would not awaken his godfather in his usual manner.

 Sirius opened one eye a crack and Harry smiled faintly – his godfather had only been faking sleep anyway, apparently anticipating an early morning awakening.

 "Come on!" Harry repeated impatiently.

 "Come on where?" Sirius wanted to know as he levered himself out of bed, knowing that his game had been caught.

 "Flying of course!" Harry replied, as though this should have been incredibly obvious.

 Sirius immediately bounded into action and in only moments was ready to go. "Well why didn't you say so before?" he demanded cheerily as he and his godson strode out onto the grounds to the place where they flew their brooms.

 "Because you didn't ask," Harry replied calmly.

 "Duh," Sirius said, laughing softly. Harry nodded in agreement, mounting old broom.

 "Sirius, loose the balls," Harry called down to his godfather once he was safely up in the air.

 Sirius nodded from the ground and called to the House Elf Sally, who aided in the grounds keeping jobs most of the time. She appeared moments later with a box of Quidditch balls as Sirius soared up to join his godson.

 Down below, Sally loosed the Bludgers, which immediately tore after Harry and Sirius, so both were moving already when Sally released the Snitch.

 Harry caught a glint of gold in the early morning sunlight as the Snitch sped free, and he and Sirius both flew in quick dives and climbs to both avoid the Bludgers and make sure that they'd both lost the Snitch completely.

 "Go!" Harry yelled, signalling that the game should begin.

 Their game was to have only the Bludgers and Snitch loose. They didn't have goal posts – the person who caught the Snitch won the game, and the only rule was that you couldn't directly interfere with the other player.

 As they didn't have any other team mates, this worked quick well, and both Harry and Sirius enjoyed the challenge. The winner didn't get anything particularly special – the joy of winning was enough for both of them.

 Harry and Sirius flew apart, each keeping an eye on the other. The Snitch was charmed to remain within certain boundaries, so as not to make the feat of catching it completely impossible – just difficult. Very difficult. But no more difficult than it would be in a Quidditch game.

 Harry swooped, and watched as his godfather suddenly swooped in a deep dive. Looking ahead of the man, he saw no glint of gold and smiled – a feint.

 Suddenly, upwards, he saw a flash of something, instantly he was moving into the air, his eyes flashing in triumph as he caught sight of the golden snitch, hovering just above him.

 At that moment, just behind him, came the whirr of a bludger, and he rocketed upwards, hearing the bludger behind him, seeing the snitch ahead of him and vaguely conscious of Sirius's muttered curses as his godfather realised what was going on ahead.

 Harry caught the snitch in a swift, easy motion, twisting his broom sharply to the left, guiding it with one hand. A black blur passed his shoulder, the bludger was now ahead of him.

 But the other one was coming from the side. Harry turned his broom downwards and dove steeply, sensing that the bludgers still followed him.

 Sirius had landed already and was beckoning Harry towards him. With a grim smile, Harry corrected his course and dropped again, this time heading to a point just to Sirius's left.

 Just before he would have crashed, Harry threw himself from his broom, twisting to jump at one of the bludgers and pin it to the ground. Beside him, Sirius was doing the same thing with the other ball, but had an easier time of it than Harry, who still had the snitch clutched in one hand.

 Sally hurried over to Harry and pointed a finger at the bludger he had trapped. Immediately it disappeared, reappearing held tightly in it's place in the box. She quickly performed the same service for Sirius. 

 Harry himself replaced the snitch in the box and grinned at Sirius. "You lose, old man," he said.

 "Hey, less of the old!" Sirius complained. Harry had been winning more and more often over the past few years. "Besides, you're more of a Seeker than I ever was – when I was at school, I played Chaser, like your father."

 "I suppose," Harry said. "But I still won and you still lost."

 He laughed, and Sirius soon joined him.

 The next two weeks passed in a blur, and soon the Dan's Death Day came around.

 Harry was late to breakfast, and when he came he was wearing black jeans, a black top and his hair was trapped by a black bandana. His green eyes were misted with tears, and his cheeks stained with their passage. 

 Sirius knew that his godson only wanted to be alone, and so left him to it for the day. Harry walked through all of the places that Dan had loved most while he was in Potter Mansion, and then asked Sirius to take him to the cemetery.

 He spent an hour there, just kneeling by Dan's grave, then set a small, polished stone that he had picked up over the last year on the way to a Tae-Kwon-Do class.

 That night Harry ate no dinner, but in the morning, he looked a little better, as was wearing dark red as opposed to black. He was still withdrawn, but less so, and spent his time practicing Wandless magic and reviewing the texts that he would need at school.

 He was becoming more and more interested in the wand magic – sure being able to do spells without a wand might be cool … but only if it didn't continuously knock him out.

 August was coming to an end, the warm summer weather was retreating to winters cold. Harry liked the winter, as much as he liked the summer, and the weather within the Potter Mansion almost matched that of the outside world.

 One night, the twenty third, Harry came down to dinner wearing blue jeans and a black shirt, his eyes were slightly troubled and his hair had changed in length a little.

 "Hey there kid," Sirius greeted him as cheerfully as ever.

 Harry smiled faintly. "Sirius, what is the plan for going to Hogwarts? You know that I cannot go as Harry, and I know that too. What is the story to be, and how will you come to school? What if someone recognises you? What is my disguise to be?"

 "Questions!" Sirius laughed. "Best not to discuss serious business over a meal, so eat your dinner and we'll go to the sitting room and I'll tell you what I've worked out so far."

 Harry hesitated, then nodded his head. "Very well," he consented, knowing that it was impossible to get his godfather to talk much over food anyway.

 Dinner came and went, as did desert, and Sirius, just to tease Harry, mimed being exhausted. "Hmm … Well, I think I'll turn in for the night now … it's been a long day," he yawned.

 Harry arched an eyebrow. "You won't fool me," he told his godfather coolly. "We are going to the sitting room and you're going to tell me the plan – I need to be familiar with it before I leave, otherwise it will be too easy to make a mistake."

 Sirius smiled and nodded his head. "Quite right. Let's go."

 Soon enough they reached the sitting room, and Harry was anxious to learn what he needed to.

 "Now, I've been giving things a lot of thought over the past few months. I've realised that you won't be able to catch the train to Hogwarts," Sirius began.

 "Why not?" Harry asked.

 "Because you need a ticket for that, and we don't have one," Sirius replied waspishly. "Oh well. There is a fireplace in the Shrieking Shack-"

 "Where you and dad and Remus and Peter went on the full moon nights?" Harry asked, to make sure he knew what was going on.

 "The same. There is a passageway, as you know, that leads onto the Hogwarts grounds. We can go up there and arrive just as the Sorting is finishing," Sirius continued. "There you will introduce yourself …" 

 "By what name?" Harry asked.

 "How does Nemo Protectium sound to you?" Sirius asked with a smile.

 "No one?" Harry mused. "Sounds fine! I like it, in fact!"

 "Good – I thought you might," Sirius said proudly.

 Harry hid a smile. "You will have to change your appearance of course. The best bet, I think, would be to stick with something a little like what you had in Diagon Alley … Longer hair, and straighter, more mature, but I think light blue eyes would be good … And the slightly pointed ears – I liked them. Obviously, no scar," Sirius said. 

 Harry thought for a moment, before the changes happened to his body. He looked quite different from the boy who'd gone to Diagon Alley, but at the same time somewhat alike. 

 His hair was now completely black, and had adopted a bluish tinge to it, and his eyes were sparkling light blue.

 "Perfect," Sirius said. "Now, as for me, I've been working on a potion for some time now, which will be able, when finished, to change my Animagus form.

 "I will appear to be a red setter, and will look quite a bit different from my usual form. As long as I have a lot of the potion in backup, I think that everything should be fine – it has to be retaken once every two months."

 Harry nodded. "Sounds good… But what's the story? It'll have to sound convincing."

 "No worries about that," Sirius assured him. "You will give your story to Dumbledore alone. You will tell him that your last name is not your real one, but that you will not reveal what it really is, because you fear for your families safety.

 "Your family was a minor pureblood house that has been presumed to be dead long ago. Instead, they'd only performed the Fidelius Charm and gone into hiding in a different country – say New Zealand or America. 

 "When it came time for your schooling to begin, you and your cousin left your families hide out and returned to Britain. There you found that everything seemed to have blown over, and Voldemort was gone. 

 "Tell him that you know that the Death Eaters have been more active lately, and that your family will remain in hiding. You, however, will remain for your schooling. You wish to be treated as a regular student, and would rather not have anything happening to cause you to be singled out.

 "In time, you'll fade into every day life at Hogwarts, and all will be well. Tell him that I am your faithful dog – I will go by the name of Ardeo."

 "That means fire, in Latin, doesn't it?" Harry asked.

 "Sure does," Sirius replied. "Tell him that we have been together for many years, and that you would not like to be parted from me – I don't think that he will do so."

 Harry nodded. "I will familiarise myself with this over the next week before we have to leave," he replied.

 "Best way to start is to sleep on it," Sirius hinted, and Harry laughed. 

 "Good night Sirius."

 "Night kiddo."

 The two went their separate ways calmly. Soon it would be time to go to Hogwarts.

***

Well, that'll do for that chapter – it's nearly 12 am now, but it's still 32 degrees Celsius (90 F) where I am, and I'm therefore disinclined to sleep… Anyway, I hope you are all at least at a little bit cooler than I am! Review please!!

**Anyone who can think of a good prank(s), please give ideas in reviews! After all, with Harry/Sirius in the school, who will be safe from them? And add the Weasley twins …**

**Note on last chapter**: I know that Harry's wand is different, but I don't think that the wood comes into much. Also, I know Harry's owl is different, but there isn't that much that would say Harry is likely to get the exact same owl if he grew up in a completely different way.

Thanks:

**Shdurrani**, LonelySpirit, **azntgr01**, Kathy Stgqvk, **Sea-Turtles**, Chiquita-3, **PhoenixTears101**, Nicoletta, **Tristin Silver**, Lord Nomad, **liz**, Silver Scale Serpent, **Stix-the-Rebel, MarsIsBrightTonight, ****Wolfia, Songbreeze Swifteye, ****AthenaKitty, Wynjara, ****OliverLover4Life, captuniv,**** Hilel, Bronx, ****Maxx77, jack4, **Jeff**, Alynna Lis Eachann, **Cataclysmic**, Nasser Himura, **DiaphanousChameleon**, Butler, **Schmanski**, Acacia Jules, ****Dumbledore's Heir, Xenocide, ****Keronshara, Andromeda's kitty, ****Keronshara, Jaded Angel8, ****Solar, ReflectionsOfReality, ****greasy sox, fiddy,**** MikiBaby, Rayvern, **ping*pong5**, Hannanora-Potter, **Hermione** ****HP, jbfritz, A****ltonShadeFoot, Potter Reader, **summer**, Dakana Warrior, **Jeanne2**, Jillian Filch, **howling wolf1**, skaped, ****thisisagoodstory, Nimair Black, ****Tamsy, sadisticfreak529, ****Enelya Fefalas, Scrambler, ****Persephone, BeastialSunStormDragon, ****knot2be, chady, ****Empress Sarah-sama, Buffy Summers1, ****pen, Samara-Morgan-101, **Cyblade Silver**, Milenn Cassandra Riddle, **Anna L. Black**, Phoenix Flight, **hi**, Sakura, **Gaul1**.**

Ok that's it *grins* I'm giving up on asking for so many reviews – I asked for something over 30 last time and I get 79! LoL. Well, they ARE appreciated! And I swear – if I ever get 100 reviews in one chapter, I'll update two chapters instead of one! Just to give you something to work towards, if you want it *grins* otherwise, I'll just keep updating every second day, which really should be enough for you *grins*

~WolfMoon~


	3. Aboard the Hogwarts Express Or Not

**_After the Dawn: The Philosophers Stone_**

Chapter Three: Aboard the Hogwarts Express … Or Not

 Harry woke with excitement on the morning of the first of September. He'd been hearing about Hogwarts all his life from Sirius, it seemed, and now it was time to finally go there.

 Sirius joined Harry in his room – actually up early without prompting for once – to help Harry pack.

 "So …" Sirius murmured, looking at the pile of things that had been growing on the floor… "Kiby!" he called.

 A moment later the House Elf appeared. "Does Mr. Black want Kiby to pack the bags?" Kiby asked, sounding eager for the work.

 "No, no Kiby," Sirius replied. "It's ok – we'll do that. But if you could fetch us the trunk with the internal secret compartment please? Do you remember that one?"

 "The one that Mr. James used?" Kiby asked.

 "That one," Sirius nodded.

 "Kiby is going and getting it sir. Kiby is being back very soon!" she disappeared.

 "Which trunk is this?" Harry asked.

 "One that was _very_ useful in helping get pranks to school and keeping them unnoticed," Sirius replied. "But I think it will serve a different purpose in this generation."

 A second later Kiby returned with a very nice looking trunk beside her. Sirius took it, thanked the elf then dismissed her. 

 The trunk was made of polished ebony and had gold corners and an impressive looking golden lock holding it shut. Sirius took a small key from his pocket and slipped it easily into the lock, turning half to the left, then back up to the top and halfway to the right.

 With a dull 'click', the lock opened and Sirius pushed up the lid of the trunk. It was more spacious inside than Harry could have guessed, looking at it from the out.

 "It's magical," Sirius said, when he pointed this out. "It'll magically expand to fit all of your things in."

 "Cool," Harry said. 

 "And that's not even the best bit," Sirius said with a grin. He ran his fingers over the centre of the trunks bottom, murmuring as he did, "marauder mischief."

 Suddenly another golden lock appeared on the area that he'd just touched. He slipped the key into the lock, and opened it in the same way that he had the other.

 Inside here was a completely hidden compartment that was just as big as the one above it. "Since I'll need some things with me," Sirius explained, "I'll put them in here, along with our prank supplies."

 Harry smiled happily. "Cool!" he said.

 Sirius nodded in cheerful agreement. "Very," he agreed. "Now we just have to put everything in – my stuff first."

 "What time do we have to leave?" Harry asked.

 "The feast doesn't start until about eight in the evening," Sirius replied. "Everyone else has to be at Platform Nine and Three Quarters at eleven o'clock sharp when the train leaves, but, of course, we aren't _going by train, are we?"_

 "Nope," Harry said. "Wonderful, we don't have to rush."

 Sirius packed little of his own things – just a few sets of robes and his broom, some shoes, a hat and fair few potions ingredients – Harry assumed this was because he would need to remake the draft that would change his Animagus form.

 That and a _load_ of prank material, which Harry was looking forward to using. Sirius also packed an invisibility cloak. "The Potter family has two of these, one of them is very old, that's this one, another was purchased in the time of your great grandfathers childhood – James gave that one to Dumbledore for safe keeping, in case anything should happen to him. Dumbledore was to give it to you when you arrived in Hogwarts."

 Harry nodded, he remembered hearing something along these lines before.

 "Now, I have a late birthday gift for you as well," Sirius added, and Harry perked up with an exaggerated look of delight on his face. Sirius reached into his robes and took out a black piece of parchment, handing it to Harry.

 Harry raised an eyebrow, looking from paper to Sirius. "When the Marauders were in school, we made a map of the place, one that would follow the castles movements, and those of the professors. One that could tell who was coming, and when. And most importantly, one that would show all of the secret passageways we'd discovered, where they were, and how to open them. We called it the Marauders Map – there were only four copies ever made.

 "I assume that Remus still has his. Peter lost his in fourth year – the same year we made them – mine I have with me, and this one was your fathers," Sirius finished, pointing at the map.

 "Each has the 'normal' password – that is 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' – but each of them also had a personalised password, which could make the map give up more and different information," Sirius continued.  

 "I believe your fathers doubles as a map of this place, and shows at least one secret room that he never told us about. It was there, apparently, that he took your mother on occasion – we never saw it, and decided to leave him in privacy about it. 

 "Anyway, you'll have to find out what the password is from him – we never asked him. We decided that we would keep these second ones secret, just in case."

 Harry nodded. "I'll find one of the pictures later today," he said. "Can I tell you the password once I've found it out from Dad?"

 "If you want to," Sirius replied. "But only if it's needed, ok?"

 Harry nodded his head once. "Now, we have to get _your_ stuff packed, which will be a bit more than what I've got!" Sirius said, looking over Harry's things.

 He packed all the books first, then robes, socks, underwear, jeans and t-shirts to wear under the robes and when he didn't have to wear uniform, potions ingredient and a shrunken cauldron. "It would fit in, but it's so _bulky," Sirius explained to Harry._

 "Oh, and one last gift actually," Sirius added with a grin. "I've got a wand holder for you … Well, two actually. One can go on a belt, and one can be attached to your arm."

 He gave them both to Harry. "Now, put on your Hogwarts robes on and we'll adjust everything."

 Sirius went outside to look for something while Harry quickly changed into his Hogwarts robes, fastened his cloak and put on the pointed hat. Sirius returned a moment later with a small box.

 He looked Harry over and nodded. "Good," he said, picking up a black leather belt from Harry's bed and slipping the wand holder onto it before handing it to Harry.

 Harry fastened it about his waist and slipped his wand into the holder – it fitted perfectly. Sirius showed him how to strap the other holder onto his arm – he put it on his left arm, and the holder was on his right.

 Harry transferred the wand to this, and practiced taking it out and sliding it back in again until Sirius was satisfied that he could do it perfectly.

 "Good," Sirius nodded. "Now, let's go and have some lunch – I'm hungry!"

 "Aren't you always?" Harry asked, running alongside his godfather in the direction of the dinning room.

 "Yes. But so are you," Sirius pointed out.

 "No, I just eat a lot at meal times. I don't need to eat more than that," Harry replied grinning. "But I do admit that I eat a lot of food!"

 Sirius shrugged. "Whatever," he replied, clearly not bothered with pushing the point.

 After a delicious lunch – the house elves had excelled themselves, probably because this was the last time they'd be cooking for the pair in a while – Harry decided that he wanted to go and visit Kreacher.

 Sirius and Kreacher were now just beginning to not hate each other quite so much. They weren't at all friendly, but the depth of their hatred seemed to be getting less and less with each visit that Harry and Sirius made.

 They were also linked by one thing, which Sirius was still surprised about – a love of Harry, and strong desire to prevent anything bad from happening to him.

 "Hello Kreacher!" Harry greeted from the fire place. The elf was dusting on the other side of the room, but immediately came bounding over to Harry. 

 "Master Harry, Master Harry!" it squeaked at him. "How is you being?" then muttered, "still with the Mistress's son … Don't trust it."

 Harry sighed. Kreacher still sometimes muttered about Sirius, but it was become less frequent and less obvious now.

 "I am well. I'm going to Hogwarts today," Harry replied with a proud smile.  

 Kreacher looked at him in surprise. "But Master Harry, the train has left already!" he said, pointing to a clock.

 "I'm not going by train, because I can't go as myself," Harry replied. "They'd catch Sirius otherwise."

 "Why does you care what happens to the Mistress's traitor son? He broke her heart, you know," the elf said.

 "Because for one thing _I like Sirius – he's my godfather, after all. The only reason I'm alive today. Also, if they found out about him, I wouldn't be able to visit you anymore," Harry replied._

 Kreacher thought about this. "Kreacher understand," he said finally. "If Master Harry needs help, he only has to ask faithful Kreacher."

 "I know," Harry replied, smiling happily.

 The visit was too soon over, and Harry and Sirius – who'd kept for the most part of the way – stepped towards the fire to leave.

 "Kreacher is hoping that Master Harry has a good time at Hogwarts," the elf squeaked in parting. 

 "I don't think I could have anything else," Harry replied, waving before he stepped into the fire to follow Sirius back to Potter mansion.

 Harry passed the remainder of the afternoon flying. He and Sirius ate a small snack before they left, since it would still be a bit of time until the feast, then the Sirius stepped towards a fire place. "Harry, follow after me and say what I say," he ordered.

 Stepping into the fire after the Floo powder, Sirius called out, "the Shrieking Shack!" and was gone. Harry waited for thirty seconds before following.

 When he stepped out of the fire place, he was surprised at how dark the place he was standing in was. He could vaguely make out the form of Sirius and his trunk in the gloom.

 His eyes adjusted quickly to the light, and it was not long before he was accustomed to the light. There was Sirius, grinning as he looked over the dusty, savaged room they'd come into.

 There was a chair missing one leg in the corner, looking as though it had been hurled there in a savage fury. There the marks of sharp, canine fangs on every piece of furniture that was there. And the marks of a boundless rage.

 "This is where Moony transformed?" Harry asked softly.

 "Yes, and where your father and I first became Animagi – and then Peter followed in our footsteps," Sirius replied. "No one else has found the way in, it seems. The guardian of the entrance way must be to jealous to let any others approach."

 Harry nodded – he'd heard about the Whomping Willow.

 "Come on. It's dark outside, so no one will notice I. It's cloudy anyway, so there will be no lights to mark our passage," Sirius said softly.

 He walked across the floor and lifted a trap door, coughing as the dust was disturbed, then brandishing his wand and getting rid of all of it. "This way," he called, voice muffled. "Pass the trunk down to me!"

 Harry did so carefully, before slipping down to join his godfather. "Watch your head," he muttered to Harry, who nodded quickly. They reached the end of the tunnel – Harry's heart was beating hard and fast. He felt incredibly nervous now that it was time to actually arrive. More nervous than he'd ever felt in his life before.

 "I'm going to push your trunk up, transform and go up myself to freeze the tree. Do not come until I bark," Sirius told him. "While you're waiting, change your appearance and go over your story again. Keep doing that until it is time to give it."

 Harry nodded silently.

 Sirius shoved Harry's trunk up through the roots of the tree that nearly covered the exit, then transformed.

 Harry blinked. He'd seen his godfather transform hundred of time before this, but this was very different. Though Sirius had said that he would be an red setter, Harry hadn't actually thought that it would make a difference.

 Sirius's once black fur was now a brownish red, his eyes were liquid brown and his ears flopped around an adorable doggy face. He made a soft snort-bark when he saw the look on Harry's face, then ducked up through the passage himself.

 A moment later, Harry had changed his appearance and Nemo Protectium now stood in the passageway, going over his story. Sirius's bark sounded from above, and Harry quickly scrambled up the passage and emerged onto the grounds.

 It was the first time he'd seen Hogwarts, and it took his breath away. Certainly he'd seen places _like_ it, such as Potter Manor, but still … Hogwarts was different again.

 He couldn't see all that much of it, since it was shrouded in the darkness of the cloudy, moonless night, but what he could see was just … Wow.

 There was lake in front of the school, and Harry thought that he could see little boats floating across it. "Is that the first years?" he asked Sirius, pointing.

 The dog nodded it's head once. Sirius had told Harry that the first years traditionally crossed the lake in boats to go to the Sorting Ceremony. He and Sirius crept across the grounds, Harry towing his trunk behind him. It had obligingly grown wheels, so this wasn't as hard as Harry had thought it might be.

 Unconsciously Harry reached up to touch his throat – there was a very fine golden chain hanging around his neck, and on it was the key for his trunk. He wouldn't want to lose it.

 He and Sirius reached Hogwarts ahead of the first years and hid themselves in some bushes near the doors, breathing gently and trying not to move and disturb anything.

 Harry could half see a group of people, led by the big man, Hagrid, coming up the path. So, these were to be his year mates for the next seven years. They didn't look like much.

 He could see the blonde Malfoy-kid that he'd met in Madam Malkin's, and the brown haired girl who had come in to buy her wand after him in Mr. Ollivanders shop.

 He thought he half-recognised a round faced boy who was clutching a toad to his chest, but he wasn't sure. The rest he didn't know at all. But then, he didn't really expect to either.

 Hagrid knocked resoundingly three times upon the huge front doors, and they were whipped open to reveal a tall, stern witch in green robes. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, confirming Harry's suspicions that this was the stern Head of Gryffindor house. 

 "Thank you Hagrid," she said, her voice still containing a slight Irish lilt, but at the same time very stern and serene.

 Hagrid nodded and waved the first year students in. Harry remained where he was as Hagrid walked inside too, and the doors were shut with a snap behind him.

***

A second note on the wand: as far as I can recall (and from carefully reading over the Philosophers/Sorcerers Stone) it NEVER once mentions that Harry's wand was made at the same time as Voldemorts. It never says that Fawkes donated the feathers at the same time either, just that Fawkes was the one that gave them.

 Therefore, in THIS story, Mr. Ollivander made the wand at a later date, AFTER Voldemort had arisen and was using his wand for evil. Fawkes gave another feather in hope that one who would stand against Voldemort would gain this wand.

 Mr. Ollivander only made the wand a year before Harry was due to come to school, hoping that it would HE who got the wand. He was inclined to make it with different materials than he did in the book – remember that he mentioned it as being an 'unusual' combination? Well, he decided to make it a little less unusual and use a different wood: Ebony. Are we all clear now?

My apologies to all regarding the lateness of this chapter. I was reinstalling my operating system and unable to use my computer, or access my stories/address book for a short period of time.

Thanks:

Nicoletta, Cataclysmic, Wynjara, MarsIsBrightTonight, Chiquita-3, Butler, Wolfia, Jack4, Black Llama, Virusgod, Dinatius, Jaded Angel8, Kateydidnt, Solar, RelfectionsOfReality, BeastialSunStormDragon, Katy-ster, AltonShadeFoot, ocpawnmaster1, OhioGrl-HPFan, Aaron, ananova, Lord of Darkness13, Mike Potter 2002, Maxx77, Jbfritz, Wytil, Believe, Musicstarlover, captuniv, Anna L. Black, athenakitty, Lord Archimonde, Tau, Jeanne2, MikiBaby, Jen, Tia, Harper, JJ, Stix-the-Rebel, Kat, Persephone, Huskerinexile, Silver Scale Serpent, lunatyme, pistaccio pudding, Empress Sarah-sama, Pottergirl48, Schnuff, azntgr01, LonelySpirit, Schnuffel, Songbreeze Swifteye, dweem-angel, Lady S, Cyblade Silver, howling wolf1, Phoenix Flight, Dakana Warrior, Penny, Sea-Turtles, Nasser Himura, Show1022, schmanski, PhoenixMan, AngeChao, King of the Nazgûl, Alexa, Alexa, Schnuffel, pen, halstead, munch, SerendipitousNightcrawler, TopQuark, Angelmorph, wizardmon92, fullsailnate, Alice Finch, walkingtalking, Hermione, Elessar, infad, infad, FlyingGoat.

Wow! You came SOO close to getting to one hundred – I was amazed! You were only 14 off *grins* that makes it 87 reviews for this chapter alone – WOW. That offer of two chapters if I get one hundred reviews will go on throughout the story, just so you know!

Next chapter: Unexpected Arrivals, due out in two days time!

~WolfMoon~


	4. Unexpected Arrival

It's my fifteenth birthday and _how do I celebrate it? By giving you lot a double update on both of my stories, how else!? *laughs* so, that really works out that _I'm_ giving __you guys presents on __my birthday … Oh well! Read, enjoy, and review!_

**__**

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Four: Unexpected Arrival

 Harry slipped out of the thorny bush and crept up to the doors, listening intently for a moment, then following Sirius across from the doors.

 In a little garden bed not far away there was a lion statue, with it's mouth open in a silently, eternal snarl. Harry remembered Sirius telling him about this and reached under the lions mouth, running his fingers across it until he found a small bump. Pressing this, he pushed upwards.

 The lions mouth closed, and the statue stood up, moving off it's pedestal. Harry gave this a light shove, and it moved easily to the side, revealing steps leading into the ground.

 Sirius bounded down first, and Harry then carefully lowered the trunk, before jumping down himself. He reached above him and found a small handle on the stone, pulling it back into place.

 Above he heard soft, muted noises as the lion returned to its perch. Harry, still tugging the trunk along behind him. A very short distance later, Harry came to the end of the tunnel and opened a door – there was a handle on this side, but it was inaccessible from the inside of the castle.

 Pulling the backwards, he caught hold of two brooms as they fell – this was a little broom cupboard that looked onto the Entrance Hall, or so Sirius had said.

 Setting the brooms up against a different wall, Harry pulled his trunk behind him into the broom cupboard, and Sirius came in as well. Harry closed the door behind him and reached up to stroke the head feathers of his owl, whom he'd named Hedwig, a name he'd found in A History of Magic.

 Harry heard the doors to what he knew must be the Great Hall open, and a wave of sound roll out from the students in second to seventh year who were seated there.

 A moment later he heard the first years being led inside. When the doors closed again, Harry slipped out from the broom cupboard, still towing his trunk, Hedwig perched on his shoulder and Sirius prowling beside him.

 From within the doors, Harry heard the strains of song. The words seemed to go something like this:

_'Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me.___

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be.___

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends.___

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!'_

 This song was followed by a momentary silence, then loud applause. Harry smiled slightly – he knew all about the Sorting Hat, of course. Sirius had told him when he was much younger.

 He listened on, as Professor McGonagall started calling out names from a roll. The students, he guessed, where trying on the hat. After a short time, the Sorting Hat would yell out a house.

 HUFFLEPUFF!

 HUFFLEPUFF!

 RAVENCLAW!

 RAVENCLAW!

 GRYFFINDOR!

 SLYTHERIN!

 HUFFLEPUFF!

 Harry lost track after a while, and it was a bit boring. He perked up a little at: Malfoy, Draco, who was instantly sorted into Slytherin, then his interest died again. He didn't know the names of any other students.

 Then also, he was very surprised when McGonagall yelled out "Potter, Harry?" there was a questioning, hopeful tone in her voice, and Harry could almost feel the hall holding it's breath, but no one came.

 The sorting continued, but it seemed a little subdued now, Harry noted.

 Finally, the last person, Blaise Zabini, because a Slytherin, and Harry knew that it was time to act. Sirius thrust a moist, cool nose into Harry's hand, and the boy took comfort in the gesture and threw the doors open wide.

 There were many gasps of surprise, and everyone turned to look at him. Harry could see himself from their point of view: a strange, young boy, standing beside a dog that came almost to his elbow, a trunk on his other side and an owl perched on his shoulder.

 Harry suddenly felt very small and alone. Then Sirius gave a soft whine beside him, and Harry felt his heart begin to soar again.

 A tall, greasy haired man with a fearsome scowl prowled towards Harry from the staff table. Deep in his throat, Sirius growled. Harry guessed that this was Severus –Snivellus- Snape, Sirius's long time enemy and potions master of Hogwarts. 

"Who are you boy?" the man demanded. He stood tall over Harry, and for a moment the boy felt cowed. 

 Then Harry straightened his back and shoulder and stared up into the fearsome face. "No one, Sir," he replied, his voice, sounding so small, echoed in the silent hall.

 At the farthest table, the Gryffindor one, two red haired boys started laughing, and tittering swept across the hall.

 "I am not in the mood for jokes boy, what is your name?" Snape hissed dangerously. The laughter stopped.

 "Nemo, Sir. Like I said, no one," Harry repeated, as if speaking to a slow child.

 Black eyes flashed, but before Snape could do anything, Albus Dumbledore arrived on the scene. Harry knew what the famous wizard looked like, of course, he'd seen pictures on numerous occasions, but the reality seemed startlingly different.

 _I hadn't thought he'd look so … old, Harry thought softly to himself._

 "Now now Severus," Dumbledore mused. "Let me speak with the boy. Nemo, isn't it?" Harry nodded. "What are you doing here, Nemo?"

 "I came to learn, Sir," Harry replied, feeling small and afraid and alone again as Dumbledore's blue eyes seemed to pierce his soul.

 "Indeed. Why did you not then catch the Hogwarts Express, and why have we no record of you here?"

 "Because my family has been in hiding since before I was born," Harry replied, confidence rising again as he began to weave his web of lies. "We would have stayed that way too, but my parents thought I needed teaching, so they sent me here. You would not have any record of my birth, because my parents have been hiding under strong charms since long before it."

 "Indeed …" Dumbledore mused. "Well, there is no doubt that you are magical, for you are here, after all … But I will need to question you more thoroughly later tonight."

 "You mean I can stay?" Harry asked, not having to fake the hope that rose in his voice.

 "Of course you can stay. All people have the right to learn," Dumbledore replied. "But I still must know more about you … Well, that can wait until after the feast, and after you've been sorted."

 "Headmaster, dogs are not allowed in this school," Snape said suddenly. "Only cats, owls, or," his nose wrinkled slightly, "toads."

 "That is a point…" Dumbledore mused, turning to Harry.

 The boy immediately twined in the dogs fur and he looked suddenly afraid. "You can't take Ardeo away!" he said, suddenly seeming both angry and frightened. "He's been with me forever!"

 "Define forever," Snape sneered before the Headmaster could get a word in.

 "Since the day I was born," Harry replied defiantly. "Our dog gave birth two hours after I was born, Ardeo was the runt of the litter, so we had to raise him by hand. He's been with me ever since!"

 "I think it unwise to separate such long-term companions," Dumbledore said before Snape could open his mouth again. "The dog, Ardeo did you say? May remain. Come, you must be sorted."

 Harry felt triumphant. The first part of the plan had gone without hitch. He was about to be Sorted, and he hoped it would be into Gryffindor.

 "What is your last name?" McGonagall asked.

 "Protectium," Harry replied.

 "Protectium, Nemo!" McGonagall called out, and Harry sat on the stool, placing the Sorting Hat on his head. It came down to his shoulders, and for a moment Harry felt somewhat ridiculous.

 _So, a soft voice spoke in his ear. __Nemo Protectium, is it? No, it then said, _not Nemo at all, are you? You're Harry Potter. What are you doing, not using your name?__

_ Many will be hurt if I am found – myself among them. I will sign no one's death warrant by appearing out of no where!_ Harry thought back at it. 

 _Now why would that be? The Hat asked him, and Harry had the unpleasant sensation that it was searching threw his memories and thoughts. _Ah, I see – Mr. Black. Well, I see that you cannot go by your own name, and therefore will Sort you and keep your secret_._

 _Thank you, Harry thought back at it._

 The Hat did not reply to this statement at all, in fact it seemed to have gone off on some completely different trail of thought.

 _Plenty of courage, certainly you aren't short on that_,  loyalty___ you have shown even here and now. A thirst for knowledge, a wish to prove yourself … Ambition, certainly … but where to put you? You would do well in any of the Houses. Why, if this was back in the founders time, I would have thought you to have been accepted by all __of them! Well, there's no help for it, you'll have to chose the House you would most like to be in. Think carefully, for your decision will shape your life._

Harry thought now. Before, he'd just thought – Gryffindor. I want to be in Gryffindor … But now … Ravenclaw, home of the wise, the knowledge seekers, or Hufflepuff, the loyal friendly ones … Not Slytherin, he didn't like their pureblood values.

 For awhile, Harry considered his options, and when he decided, he thought was sure. _I still wish to be in Gryffindor_.

 GRYFFINDOR! That hat shouted for all the houses to hear, and Harry stood up, replacing the Hat before he heard it's last thought. _You will do great things, Harry Potter, and I will be there to help you when you need it the most._

The Gryffindor table _exploded_ into cheers, and Harry felt very self-conscious, standing beside the stool. "Leave your trunk, it will be dealt with soon," McGonagall whispered to him, go and sit with the others."

 Harry nodded and walked off across the hall, Sirius following, his claws clicking on the ground. After the initial applause, everyone had gone silent and was watching him. 

 He walked down the table to the very end where there were very few people seated, and sat down there, trying to make it clear, without words, that he didn't want company.

 The house peered at him curiously, but didn't have the chance to try and speak with him because Albus Dumbledore had stood up. "Now, start of term announcements.

 "First years, and Fred and George Weasley" – this seemed to be the red haired boys who'd started laughing when Harry stood up to Snape, "should note that the Forbidden Forest on the grounds is, as it's name suggests, forbidden to all students without a teacher present.

 "Mr. Filch, our caretaker, wishes to remind you that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classrooms. 

 "Quidditch trials are in the second week, and are not open to anyone above second year. Anyone interested in playing for their team should speak with Madam Hooch.

 "Also, an announcement that _applies to everyone_. The third floor corridor on the right had side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

 Several of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs laughed. Harry didn't – he didn't see anything funny about it at all.

 "I'm sorry to have to keep you from your food for so long, and therefore I have only four more words to say to you before the feast begins, and here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

 With that, the house tables were suddenly festooned with food and drink. Harry piled his plate high with food, so that if anyone tried to engage him in conversation, he had the food as a way of getting out of it.

 A ghost floated down to where Harry was sitting. "That looks good," he said sadly.

 Harry smiled at the ghost – you shouldn't be rude to dead people, he thought – "I am sorry for your loss," he said, knowing that ghosts couldn't eat. 

 "Ah well, no help for it. I should be used to this by now, one would think. I have been dead for almost five hundred years now," the ghost remarked.

 "My name is Nemo," Harry said, "what's yours?"

 "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service," he replied, standing up and bowing. To Harry's amusement, his head fell almost off.

 "It's nice to meet you," Harry said courteously, hiding a smile. "Would you be nicknamed Nearly Headless Nick?"

 "I would," he sounded suddenly stiff. "But I would prefer to be called Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

 "Would Sir Nick do?" Harry asked. "Or Sir Nicholas?"

 "Sir Nick would be grand," the ghost assured him. "It was nice to make your acquaintance," with that, he floated off.

 Harry smiled slightly and slipped some ham and chicken to Sirius under the table, turning his attention to the conversations further up the table.

 Some people were talking about blood lines – Harry tuned out on that one, he couldn't care less – but the brown haired girl whom he'd seen in Ollivanders and later coming into Hogwarts was talking with a red haired boy wearing a prefect badge.

 This was about lessons. Hermione was hoping that they'd start on practical work straight up. "I'm rather interested in Transfiguration," she admitted. 

 "You'll start small," the prefect told her. "It's really hard, and at first you'll only be doing things like turning matches into needles."

 Harry nodded slightly to himself. Suddenly, the Prefect excused himself from the new girl and walked down the table to Harry, who tried to ignore him.

 "Hello, my name's Percy, Percy Weasley," he said, sitting down beside Harry.

 "Nemo," Harry replied shortly.

 "Where did you come from?"

 "None of your business."

 Percy stood up and walked back to the other girl with a stiff back.

 "Hey, that was cool! Keep doing that!" It was the two red haired boys, Fred and George turned up suddenly. "That's our brother, he's boring."

 Harry smiled vaguely. "I'm sorry, I'm not much of a people person, if you know what I mean. I would rather be left to my own devices."

 The twins nodded. "That's cool," they told him. "If you ever need a hand, just ask!" they waved and headed back up the table. Their brother Percy gave them an irritated look.

 For the rest of the meal, Harry was left alone for the most part. Everyone was watching him all the time, but no one tried to talk to him – he guessed that Fred and George had something to do with that. 

 Finally the dinner faded, the desert came and went and Dumbledore stood up. "Well, since I got all of the announcements over and done with before the feast, all that is left is to since the school song!"

 Harry immediately noticed that no other teacher looked _at all_ happy about this, though Dumbledore was still positively beaming. "Everyone pick a favourite tune and we'll get started!"

 Harry thought about it for a minute, then decided that he simply wouldn't sing – he didn't like singing much … At least, not in front of other people.

 All the same, he muttered the words under his breath as they came over the tables, written on floating golden ribbon. 

 "_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please._

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn till our brains all rot!_"

 Harry decided that he would seriously like to meet the person who'd composed that song – he or she must have had a very interesting personality. 

 He smiled when he realised what tune the two Weasley pranksters were singing to: A slow funeral march. When they were finished (everyone else already had, long before) they saw Harry watching them and winked. One of them mouthed: _We do that every year._

 "Now, everyone please follow your prefects up to your house dormitories!" Dumbledore smiled around at them all. Harry stood up, Sirius by his side and Hedwig on his shoulder, walking after Percy and wondering why Dumbledore hadn't called him yet.

 Shrugging it off, Harry didn't particularly relish the idea of lying to one of the most formidable wizards in history.

 However, half way to Gryffindor tower, Harry, who was at the back of the line, felt a light hand on his shoulder. Spinning around, ready to fight, he relaxed when he saw only the headmaster standing there.

 "Could you come to my office, Mr Protectium?" Dumbledore asked quietly. No one up ahead noticed, and Harry only nodded.

 "Come along then," Dumbledore showed him the way, walking ahead. Neither said anything. Not yet. 

 Dumbledore came to a stop in front of an ugly looking gargoyle. "Sherbet lemon," he said. Harry smiled slightly at that.

 "Would you like one?" Dumbledore asked, reaching for a pocket. "I always keep a stash close at hand."

 Harry laughed at that and shook his head. "No, thank you – I'm still full from dinner."

 "Ah yes, of course, the feast," Dumbledore said, leading the way up a set of moving stairs and in through yet another door.

 "I'm afraid I must question you a little as to your origin – Professor Snape is going to help me."

 Harry stopped immediately and glared at the Potions Master. Snape glared back. "I will not say _anything while he remains here," Harry said firmly._

 "May I ask why not?" Dumbledore enquired, sounding surprised.

 "The name of Snape is tarnished by darkness," Harry replied coldly.

 "I trust Severus," Dumbledore said firmly.

 "I don't," Harry replied, just as firmly. "A Snape killed my sister, or so my parents told me. I will say nothing while one of my sister's murderer's relatives is in the room."

 For a moment, Dumbledore and Snape both stared at him. "Then I will take my leave. I'll look forward to your first potions class, _no one." Snape swept from the room coldly, back stiff._

 "He is a bad enemy for you to make," Dumbledore remarked, sounding a little disapproving.

 "I do not care. I spoke only the truth, as I know it," Harry said firmly.

 "Very well – that is not what I would have wanted but … I have not heard of the Protectiums, would you like to tell me a bit about them?"

 "My last name is not Protectium," Harry replied coolly. "But I will not endanger myself and my remaining family by giving out any information on them."

 "I will tell no one," Dumbledore said.

 "All things have a way of being found out eventually," Harry countered. "I do not want anyone to be in danger because of me. I would request that you allow everyone to think of me as Nemo Protectium, and I would ask that you forget that I have another name."

 Dumbledore hesitated and then nodded. "Very well. But why did your family go into hiding?" 

 "Because Voldemort was going after them. The world believes us all dead now, though this is not the truth. The Death Eater threat is not yet over, and it is best that my family remains in hiding," Harry replied.

 Dumbledore nodded after a moment. "I feel that you may be trusted. The Sorting Hat thinks so to, and I believe that I can trust it's judgement – I have not yet known it to be wrong."

 Harry blinked in surprise. He was believed that easily?

 "Well, it _is_ getting late now, isn't it? Would you like me to show you to the Gryffindor tower?" Dumbledore asked.

 "No, I'll be able to find someone who knows the way," Harry replied. "But could you tell me the password please?"

 "It's pig snout," Dumbledore replied, and Harry fixed this in his mind, and nodded once.

 "Thank you," he said, and left the office.

 Little did he know how confused a headmaster he left behind him.

***

Well! Another chapter at an end. 3500 words! Pretty good, eh? Hope you like it, please review!!

Thanks:

**Dumbledore's Heir**, LonelySpirit, **Kathy Stgqvk, athenakitty, **Jbfritz**, TopQuark**, Lady Prongs**, Alexa, ****Wytil, Aowyn, ****Angelmorph, Nicoletta, **Sea-Turtles**, Chicken Stars, **Maxx77**, Songbreeze Swifteye, **Taka Ichijouji**, Wynjara, ****Dweem-Angel, The Vampire Story Hunter, ****Chiquita-3, The Vampire Story Hunter, ****The Vampire Story Hunter, solar, ****Hot-Salsa, Musicstarlover, ****SelenA, In_Sirius_Denial, ****gaul1, the Shadow Bandit, ****Anna L. Black, Nasser Himura, J****eanne2, Kemenran****, Stix-the-Rebel, Dakana Warrior, ****Sadisticfreak529, howling wolf1, ****katy-ster687, Jen, **Jester**, Angechaos, **Celestia**, Silver Scale Serpent, **captuniv**, azntgr01, ****Tamsy, ia, ****Empress Sarah-sama, Vicious Pixie****, Eowyen Lady of Horses1361, Rianna, ****SaraH **BetH**, OhioGrl-HPFan, **chady**, Enelya Fefalas, **Butler**, Magewhisperer-su, ****MikiBaby, Lord of Darkness13, ****Corie, Cyblade Silver,**** Siripiritus, Gaia, ****Lady_Sharahzad, Phoenix Flight****, Kodomo, Wolfia, ****The Lord Voldemort.**

Thanks all! Please review again!

~WolfMoon~


	5. Visit to the Library

_Horray, hiphip, horray, hiphip, you to birthday happy, WolfMoon dear to birthday happy, you to birthday happy, you to birthday happy._

**__**

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Five: A Visit to the Library

 "There, look."

 "Where?"

 "With the red dog!" 

 "Oh!"

 Whispers followed Harry – the strange new boy who hadn't actually been invited to Hogwarts, but had come anyway – from the moment he left the Gryffindor dormitories.

 If his own house with this inquisitive, Harry thought, the rest of the school would going to be torture. He left the Gryffindor Common Room as fast as he could, ducking away to avoid anyone else coming out of the room.

 "Ardeo? Can you get me to the Great Hall by less travelled passages?" Harry asked his godfather pleadingly. Sirius nodded his head at once and started moving.

 Harry followed easily, and was relieved to see that no one was walking the same paths that they were – it was a good thing that Sirius knew where he was and where he was going.

 Soon enough, Harry walked into the Great Hall, and everyone immediately turned to look at him. Uncomfortable, Harry quickened his steps, moving towards the Gryffindor table, his hand sneaking out and his fingers tangling themselves in Sirius's long, silky fur.

 At the Gryffindor table, he found a seat away from the majority of the House and sat down to eat a hurried breakfast. He accepted his time table from Percy without a word, which seemed to annoy the older student. Harry didn't care.

 He examined his time table, finished eating, and was about to leave the Hall when Dumbledore stood up and gestured for silence. He got it. Instantly.

 "As you all know, we had an unexpected arrival last night. Nemo has joined the ranks of the Gryffindors, and has told me something of his past. Despite his strange arrival, he will be remaining in Hogwarts and learning, just as you are.

 "I must ask that _no one_ asks Nemo anything about his past. If he wishes to let it be known, I am sure he will speak, but if I hear of _anyone_ attempting to get him to speak unwilling … The consequences will not be favourable. The tale is his to tell, when he is ready to. Thank you all!"

 Harry smiled slightly to himself, silently thanking the Headmaster. He stood up and left the Hall, aware that everyone was still watching him with curiosity. He ignored them completely.

 He hurried up to the Gryffindor tower to pick up his books for the day, then, following Sirius, made his way downstairs again and easily finding his way to the Transfiguration classroom.

 He was the first one there – no one else made it until the bell rang, and Harry saw, with some amusement, that all of the Gryffindor first years had followed their Professor.

 "Mr Protectium," Professor McGonagall greeted. "I had wondered if you would be able to find your way to the classroom." 

 Harry just smiled – faintly – and nodded his head once. "Professor, would my dog be able to come into the classroom? He will disturb no one, I promise."

 After a moments consideration, the woman nodded her head. "In this case, I will agree. If he makes a disturbance …"

 "Then he will not enter any classroom in the school while a class is in progress," Harry promised. 

 "Then very well," McGonagall gave him a brief smile and opened the door. Harry smiled slightly in triumph as he walked inside, but no one saw – save one. Sirius.

 Harry took a seat quietly in back of the classroom, glaring at anyone who might have sat near by. If Harry's glare didn't work, Sirius would bare his fangs – silently.

 Everyone sat down, leaving a large space around Harry – as he wanted.

 McGonagall gave him a slightly disapproving look – Harry assumed she wanted him to make friends with the students. Well, he wasn't going to! Friends just led you to get hurt. Sirius was the only one that Harry hadn't really pushed away.

 McGonagall quickly marked the roll and glared over the class. "Transfiguration is something most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she told them. "If you mess around in this class, you will leave and you will not return. I do not suffer fools here. You have been warned."

 With a swish of her wand she transformed her desk into a pig, and then back again. Harry smiled at the impressed looks on his classmates faces – surely they realised that they were not going to be doing _anything like that?_

 Apparently not. Every one of them had a disappointed expression on his or her face as they started copying down notes on how to transform a match to a pin. 

 Harry gave a slight smile, remembering the Weasley Prefects words from the night before. This must be a fairly standard first lesson in Transfiguration.

 Each of them was given a match and instructed to being. Harry lifted the ebony wand in his hands, flicking it gently, using his right hand and murmuring the words that they were supposed to use.

 Nothing happened. With a slight frown, Harry changed hands, putting his wand in the left one, and again performing the spell. He was gratified when he saw a slight silver tinge spreading across the match.

 He glanced up to check the progress of the rest of the class, and realised that none of them had been able to make any difference to the matches.

 He hid his from view, in case the teacher should single him out, and continued working on it. By the end of the lesson, he'd managed to get it _almost to a pin. You could still see the wood underneath though, and the tip of it was red._

 Still, it was the best in the whole class – only one other had made a difference. The brown haired girl he'd overheard talking with the prefect the night before. It had gone all silvery. But it wasn't pointed. 

 She gave both Harry and Hermione a rare smile and given them each five points for Gryffindor. Harry was pleased by this – he liked the idea that he was helping his house out, even if it was only a small contribution.

 The brown haired girls name, he learned, was Hermione Granger. There was one of the red-haired Weasley family in his class too – a boy called Ron.

 These were the only ones that he'd marked as yet, though he remembered a few other names. It was useful to know these things, Harry knew, though he wasn't likely to use many names, at least not for a while.

 He noticed that the whole class was watching him and Hermione with jealousy and slight dislike. _I guess I'll have to be careful about getting everything right_, he thought to himself. He didn't want to be friends with everyone, but he didn't want the reputation of a teachers pet, goody-goody person either. 

 Next class was Charms, in which Harry met Professor Flitwick, who had been Charms teacher in the Marauders sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts.

 He hadn't believed Sirius when his godfather had told him how small Flitwick was supposed to be, and hid a discreet smile at the pile of books that the Charms Professor clambered up on. He read through the role, then, when he'd gone through it, magically added Harry's to it.

 The week passed slowly. The only time that Harry left the castle during the first week was to go to Herbology.

 He quickly learned that some of the classes were a _lot more interesting than others. History of Magic was easily the most boring – but then, Harry had expected that._

 Sirius had told Harry the story of the only interesting thing he ever remembered happening in one of Binns' classes: the day that the teacher had died.

 "It was quite interesting actually. Old Binns was always a bit vague with anything that didn't have to do with his precious history, so one morning, while your parents, Remus, Peter and I were in our sixth year – it was near the end of the year – he actually _walked through the classroom door and didn't notice!_

 "All the class was muttering, but Binns didn't notice. He sat right down and started talking about the formation of the Ministry of Magic, then I put up my hand.

 "He looked at me. He was quite surprised – no one had ever stayed awake and attentive for long enough to ask a question of him before. Then he says, 'Yes, Mr. Black?'

 "And then I said, 'Hey Sir, you died last night,' and he looked at me all funny, and then he looked down at himself and realised that he was transparent.

 "Then this funny look passed over his face and he muttered something about being able to watch history unfold itself for all eternity, then looked at the class and said, 'well, no matter,' and continued to teaching!"

 Harry quickly realised that nothing had changed since Binns had died. He was still boring and talked on and on and on about something that Harry could never concentrate for long enough to discover what it was. 

 In the end, he opened his History of Magic book and started reading that instead, figuring that if it was the set text, the information must be in there, and that even the dullest reference book in the world couldn't compete with Binns as a boredom inducer.

 Astronomy Harry enjoyed. He'd always liked the night sky, and had spent many a night outside with Dan – he felt a pang of grief at the thought of his friend – watching them, trying to find constellations.

 Now he was learning about it properly. He'd never really asked Sirius, he wasn't sure why, he just hadn't.

 The Astronomy teacher, Professor Sinistra, seemed to like him, but Harry pretended not to notice – he didn't want friends. He only needed Sirius.

 He'd quickly taken to avoiding people as often as was possible. He came early or late to meals, so that there were few people in the Great Hall, and spent a lot of his time roaming obscure parts of the castle.

 On Thursday afternoon he made his way to the Library for the first time. Professor McGonagall had given them homework on the theory of changing matches into needles.

 No one else had given them any homework as yet. Harry had been hoping he'd get some from Professor Quirrel. That was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was a _joke_. 

 He was terrified of his own shadow, he stuttered and his laugh was a quivering, trembling note that didn't sound right. His classroom smelt strongly of garlic, and Harry highly doubted that he'd ever had the guts to face a dark creature, let alone defeat one.

 Quirrel himself had an odd smell, one that Sirius did _not_ seem to like. Harry overheard one of the Weasley twins telling their brother Ron that Quirrel's turban was stuffed full of garlic, in case he ever met a vampire.

 Harry slipped quietly into the library. Dinner was just getting started down in the Great Hall, but Sirius had told of Harry of a better way to avoid crowds – get food straight from the kitchens. The house elves were more than happy to pander to Harry's every whim.

 "Why aren't you at dinner?" a sharp voice demanded from Harry's right. The boy turned to see a stick then, upright lady with brown hair that was just starting to grey. 

 She wore it in a stern bun, and had glasses perching on the tip of her nose. She wore a black skirt, a white blouse and a black jacket, looking very prim and proper.

 "I have already eaten," Harry replied quietly. This must be the librarian. 

 "So you've come to get your sticky fingers all over my precious books?" she asked him suspiciously, confirming Harry's suspicion.

 "I've washed my hands," he informed her coolly, holding them out.

 She grabbed hold of his right hand, and examined it in great detail, before letting it go and snatching the other one. Harry let her.

 "Hmph," she told him. "So you have. Well, what are you here for?" 

 "Doing homework," Harry replied, somewhat nervously.

 "Well why didn't you say so before? If you get a book out, put it back _in the place you got it from_, got that?"

 "Yes Madam…?" Harry waited politely for her to give her name.

 "Madam Pince," she told him. "Hogwarts librarian."

 "Madam, I have a dog, his name is Ardeo and he has been my life-long companion. I promise you that he will not disturb any person, or book, if you would allow him into the library. Professor McGonagall has given her consent for him to join me in classes. Will you allow him into the library?"

 Madam Pince's heart, which many believed to be made of stone, went out the young boy with pleading grey eyes and very good manners. She saw, looking around the boys legs, the adorable doggy face of a red setter.

 For a moment she hesitated. It had been a long time since she'd had anything to do with the students, apart from berate them about books and noise in the library.

 The last student that she'd felt any friendship for was a young girl by the name of Lily Evans. Something about this boy reminded Madam Pince of Lily, she wasn't sure what it was …

 "Well, very well, he may enter the library on a trial today. I will decide whether or not he may stay at a later date," Madam Pince said.

 Harry smiled. "Thank you," he said softly and walked passed her into the library.

 As he moved out of sight, it struck Madam Pince what she'd recognised of Lily in the boy – the look in his eyes. The look that seemed to say he'd seen more than his fair share of death and loneliness, but who, in spite of that, was a great person and eager to continue with life.

 The new boy, Nemo, seemed quite distant, as Lily had when first she'd arrived. But Lily had gotten better, more social … Imra Pince had no doubt that this Nemo would do the same.

 Meanwhile, Harry was looking over the books in the transfiguration section of the library and had _no idea where to start on this assignment._

 Sirius whined softly to catch Harry's attention, and nudged a book with his nose. Harry knelt and tugged the book free of the shelf. The book was small, and was cramped between too much larger books.

 _Transfiguration: Simple Spells, was the title. Harry smiled. "Thanks mate," he murmured to Sirius, resting a hand lightly on his godfathers head for a moment._

 Sirius gave a soft whine, seeming to urge Harry to read the book. Harry flicked it open, pulled a piece of parchment and a quill towards him and started reading, jotting down notes as he did so.

 Harry borrowed the book from Madam Pince when the first few students started drifting into the library, taking his work elsewhere, so that people wouldn't be watching him.

 He ended up slipping into an unused classroom on fourth floor. There he settled down to read the book and continue making notes. Eventually, when it was getting late and was almost out of hours, Harry put away his book and homework sheets and headed out of the classroom.

 He decided that, despite the fact that it was difficult to keep away from the students most of the time, he liked being at Hogwarts. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he let down his walls and allowed someone to make friends with him.

 He quickly shrugged off this thought whenever it came. He couldn't. Friends would just get him hurt. If he kept away from people for long enough, and was rude when they tried to make friends with him, he'd be fine. They'd all stop trying soon enough.

 Slipping into the Gryffindor Common room, he was annoyed to find that everyone still turned to look at him. He scowled. One of the boys – the red-haired Ron Weasley – had tried to talk to Harry on numerous occasions.

 Harry had quickly resorted to rudeness to try and get the other boy off his back. Now Ron was glaring at him angrily, sitting between the two boys he _had_ befriended – Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.

 Harry glared back and walked up to the dormitories and lay on his stomach on the bed to do some more work on his homework.

 He had most of the points that he would need for his essay now, but the Transfiguration book intrigued him. With a sudden 'pop' Sirius transformed beside him.

 "Should you really do that?" Harry asked softly.

 "No," Sirius answered, just as softly, "but I thought I should point out to you that you should read that potions book – Snivellus aint gonna go easy on you tomorrow."

 "Why not?"

 "He's good at holding grudges," Sirius replied. "He'll try and catch you out tomorrow, since you wouldn't talk to the Headmaster in front of him."

 "Thanks mate," Harry said, and was about to say more when both of them froze at the sound of footsteps on the stair. Sirius transformed in a second.

***

Peter Pettigrew breathed a sigh of relief. He was hiding in a pocket in Ron's jacket at the moment, and had just decided that the new boy and his dog were _not_ Harry Potter and Sirius Black. 

 For a moment, he'd wondered if they might be. Sirius was, after all, a dog Animagus, but nothing had happened since they'd arrived. Of course, Peter had changed his own form somewhat, but he thought that Sirius would have recognised him anyway – Sirius had always been annoyingly good at that.

 But no – this was probably just one of the dark lord's other enemies or victims, hiding away out of sight, but unable to resist sending their child to Hogwarts.

 Well, if the Dark Lord _did arise again, it would be easy enough to take the boy to him, present him with one of his enemies and so he, Peter, would be welcomed once more into the ranks of the Dark Lords most trusted servants._

 The rat gave a slight nod and curled himself more tightly in Ron's pocket, drifting into a sleep full of dreams of serving the Dark Lords orders and eventually being promoted to his second in command.

***

That'll do for now! See you all next chapter!


	6. Potions and Other Problems

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Six: Potions and Other Problems

 It was Friday morning. Harry had spent much of the night before reading up on Potions information, as Sirius had warned him to be prepared.

 Harry knew that Snape wouldn't like him, not after their first meeting in the Great Hall, but he also didn't really care. Snape hadn't liked Harry's father either. Or Sirius. Or Remus. Or Harry's mother.

 This, in Harry's mind, pretty much made Snape an enemy. He knew that he was being biased, but he could neither like nor trust the potions master … maybe that could change, most likely it would not.

 "What's first today?" Harry heard Seamus ask Ron.

 "Double Potions with the Slytherins," Ron groaned in reply. "My brothers say that Snape is head of the Slytherin house, and that he _always_ favours them. We'll be able to see if it's true …"

 "Wish McGonagall favoured us," Dean Thomas put in. Harry smirked – they obviously hadn't enjoyed getting homework. Harry was just about to start on a piece of toast when the post arrived.

 Harry was one of the few first years who hadn't been particularly startled when the post had arrived on the first morning. Several of them – Muggle borns, he assumed – had actually screamed when over one hundred owls had suddenly flooded through the doors of the Great Hall.

 Hedwig had come every morning, so far not bringing any letters or parcels, but Harry was expecting that. She came anyway, to nibble on Harry's toast or sip his pumpkin juice.

 He liked seeing her anyway – he didn't mind befriending animals. It was just humans that he shunned. But _today_ he had a letter. He was surprised, and opened it.

 _Mr. Protectium,_

_I would like to see you in my office at lunch time today. Don't worry, you aren't in trouble._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress._

 Harry shrugged and tucked the note into his pocket, he didn't know what she'd want to talk to him about, nor did he really care. He was focusing on Potions at the moment.

 Harry knew that Snape disliked him after what had happened on the first day of term. By the end of the first potions lesson, Harry realised how wrong he'd been. Snape _hated_ him.

 Potions were held down in the dungeons, Harry was glad that Sirius was with him, walking through the dank, windowless passageways until they reached the doors of Snape's classroom.

 Snape started the class with a roll, and paused as he reached Harry's name. "Well, well, well," he said sinisterly. "Our new … Celebrity. Nemo Protectium."

 Draco Malfoy and two goons that followed him laughed softly at this. Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he said nothing, refusing to rise to the bait.

 He remembered the second time that he'd met Draco Malfoy – it one the second day of school.

 "Well, Nemo," Malfoy had greeted him. "Nice to see you again."

 Harry nodded once, in acknowledgement.

  "You _do_ know that it's polite to actually_ say_ something when you are addressed, don't you?" Malfoy asked.

 "Oh?" Harry asked coldly. "Is it? Very well, I'll say something: Get out of here – I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to be your friend! Scram!"

 He'd been getting ruder and ruder to the people who'd been talking to him. He _hated them all coming, asking if he was alright, saying how brave he was, wanting to be his friend … Probably just so that they could brag to others about it._

 "I'm not a good enemy, Protectium," Malfoy had sneered then. "If you'll be my friend I can show you all the things that mean something in today's world."

 "I don't think I need help, Malfoy," Harry hissed. "I _don't need friends, and I understand enough about today's world to be getting on with. Now get lost."_

 Malfoy had strode away angrily. Harry knew he'd made _another_ enemy. Oh well, at least that was one person who wouldn't be trying to make friends with him.

 As he finished marking the roll, Snape looked around the class. His eyes, black and cold, reminded Harry of dark, empty tunnels. He shivered slightly.

 "You are hear to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. His voice was very soft, but Harry didn't have to strain to hear him. The class remained deadly silent – Snape was just that kind of teacher.

 "As there is little foolish wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the humans veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory … Even stopper death. That is, if you aren't as big a group of dunderheads that I usually have to teach." He seemed to be looking at the boy Neville Longbottom, and Ron Weasley's group as he said this.

 Harry noted that the brown haired Hermione Granger looked  _very eager to start proving she wasn't a dunderhead. Harry knew that he couldn't care less, what Snape thought of him._

 "Protectium!" Snape barked suddenly, and Harry looked at him coldly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

 Harry noted that most of the people in the class looked stumped by this question. Hermione Granger had her hand in the air, obviously knowing the answer.

 Harry smiled – he knew the answer to this question! "A sleep potion called Draught of the Living Death," he said, and felt mild relief when Snape nodded grudgingly.

 Harry felt Sirius rest a paw on his leg in congratulations, and was happy.

 "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

 Hermione had her hand up again. Harry thought for a minute. Bezoar … Where had he heard that before?

 That's right! Harry and Dan had once found a mouse that had been poisoned. Not wanting it to die, they'd taken it to Sirius, who had smiled and taking a strange looking stone from a cupboard, putting it in water to soak, and then administering the water to the mouse, which had quickly recovered.

 "From the stomach of a goat, Sir," Harry said, remembering what Sirius had told him afterwards. This had been not long after Harry had told Dan about himself and Sirius.

 Snape looked sour.

 Harry _felt_ sour. If he hadn't grown up with Sirius, he would never have been able to get these questions! How was a student supposed to remember _everything from One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?_

 "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

 Harry knew this one too – Sirius had told him about wolfsbane, something that he had come across during his association with his werewolf friend, Remus Lupin.

 He had told Harry that wolfsbane was a magical plant that could keep werewolves away from you … He'd also said that it had several names … and one of them was monkshood!

 "They are the same plant, Sir," Harry said, relieved.

 "It is also known as aconite. A bezoar can save you from most poisons, and the Draught of Living Death is so named because the victim looks dead, but is only asleep. It has been known for people who have taken this potion to be buried alive. Well? Why aren't you copying this down?"

 Hermione was, Harry noted, and he quickly followed suit. Most the students had to rustle around in their bags in search of quill, ink and parchment.

 Harry already had his out, and copied everything down as well as he could remember. "You want to be careful, Protectium," Snape hissed suddenly. Harry only then realised that the Professor was behind his chair.

 "I will be watching you. The headmaster may trust you, but I do not. One point from Gryffindor!"

 Harry didn't say anything – he knew that Snape was trying to make him rise to the bait, but he wasn't going to give Snape what he wanted.

 Things didn't improve. Harry had to work Hermione Granger on the potion, so that wasn't too bad. They were mixing a potion to cure boils. Harry was concentrating on his work as much as he could.

 Snape was stalking around the dungeon criticising almost everyone … Only Draco Malfoy was safe. Snape seemed to like him. As he told everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs (Harry immediately noted that if Malfoy kept up in the way he was, smiling proudly around the dungeon and paying no attention to his potion, he wouldn't have a very good end product).

 But Harry had no chance to speak of his observation, as the cauldron next to him, on which Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan had been working, was suddenly sending clouds of acid green smoke through the dungeon, and a hissing noise filled the air.

 The cauldron they'd been working on was ruined now, and their potion seeping across the floor, melting holes in peoples shoes. Harry quickly jumped onto on his stool, while Sirius scrambled onto a rock ledge behind Harry's desk at the back of the room.

 Hermione didn't seem to realise that the potion was about to hit her – she was frozen to the spot, watching Neville, who had been drenched in the potion and was moaning in pain as boils started popping up all over him.

 Harry sighed, and grabbed Hermione's hand, pulling her onto her own stool.

 "Idiot boy!" Snarled Snape as he swished his wand, getting rid of the potion and walked over to Neville. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills _before_ taking the cauldron off the fire."

 Neville could only whimper – the boils were now popping up over his face. "Take him to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus, then rounded on Harry.

 "You – Protectium! – why didn't you tell him not to do that? Though he'd make you look good if he got it wrong and you didn't, did you? One point from Gryffindor!"

 Harry was about to protest, when he felt Sirius's nose touch the back of his leg comfortingly. He didn't say anything, and glared at Hermione when she would have opened her mouth. 

 An hour later Harry could escape the dungeons. He ignored all attempts at conversation that didn't regard the work they were doing from Hermione, and did his best to ignore Snape as well, and Malfoy, who'd spent the remainder of the lesson sneering and taunting Harry about losing points.

 He escaped as quickly as possible, heading out onto the grounds with Sirius at his side. There was the man, Hagrid, working in a garden outside of his house.

 Wanting more information about the parcel that Hagrid had picked up, Harry headed over to him.

 Hagrid looked up as Harry approached. "Hullo," he greeted with a smile. "You're the new kid, Nemo, right?"

 "Yeah," Harry replied. "You may not remember, or recognise me, but we met in Diagon Alley. I looked different though, then."

 "Were yeh the kid that picked up the Philo- the package I had with me in Gringotts?" Hagrid asked. Harry noted the half slip of Hagrid's tongue, but pretended not to.

 "Yeah," he replied. "My cousin didn't want to be recognised, so we both looked different."

 Hagrid nodded. "Why don't ye come in and a have a cuppa?" he asked with a smile. "Bring ye dog, I've got one o' my own – they should get on just fine!"

 Harry nodded his acceptance. "Sure," he replied. 

 Sirius glanced up at him, surprised. Harry ignored it. He would tell his godfather about the package soon. But not yet …

 "How's ye firs week been?" Hagrid asked him.

 Harry shrugged. "Alright. I just had potions, and the teacher seems to _hate me."_

 "Snape? Nah – 'e's just like that," Hagrid told him. "He don't like no one, Snape don't."

 Hagrid's dog, a great black boarhound, and Sirius, were apparently introducing themselves.

 "Made any friends?"

 "Yes," Harry replied. "The Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas."

 "No friends among the living?" Hagrid asked with a faint smile.

 "None, save Ardeo," Harry replied, nodding to Sirius.

 "Don't like us humans, eh?"

 "Oh, I like people well enough, I just don't want to make friends fast … Not after … Not after something that happened to me a few years back," Harry replied, but said no more.

 While Hagrid bustled around the kitchen making tea, Harry saw a cutting from the Daily Prophet and read it over.

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._

_Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

_ "But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts' spokesgoblin this afternoon._

 "Hagrid," Harry said suddenly. "Wasn't the 31st the day that you were in Gringotts?" He knew it was, of course. "Maybe the break-in happened while we were there!"

 Hagrid didn't meet his eyes at that, Harry thought. The man just shrugged his huge shoulders. "Who knows? Only them goblins, and they aint telling."

 So, was the package of Hagrid's the one that the dark wizards of witches had been looking for? It certainly seemed that way.

 Harry had to leave soon after to get to his appointment with Professor McGonagall, but he bid Hagrid a cheerful farewell, and promised to come again fairly soon.

 "Ah, Mr. Protectium," McGonagall greeted him as he arrived in her office. "Take a seat."

 Harry did so, feeling nervous. He tangled his fingers in Sirius's fur to reassure himself. "What did you want me for?" He asked, voice small.

 "Mr. Protectium, I have noticed that you have no friends among classmates. This disturbs me – a boy your age should have many friends and spend a lot of time with them," McGonagall began.

 Harry's eyes flashed. "I don't need friends," he said harshly. "And why should you care if I have them or not?"

 "I beg to differ, Protectium," McGonagall sighed. "You do need friends, and you will always need them. They will help you get through your life. As to why I care whether you have them or not – well, I _am_ your head of house. That means that I care if you aren't happy."

 "I am happy," Harry insisted. "Besides, Hermione Granger doesn't have friends. I don't see her here!"

 "Miss Granger is _trying to make friends," McGonagall replied. "She may not be succeeding, but she is making an effort. You are not, and therefore it is you I am more concerned for."_

 Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want any friends," he said. "They can be used to hurt you."

 "Who told you that?" McGonagall.

 "My best friend," Harry replied painfully.

 "I hardly believe a friend would say something like that," McGonagall told him.

 "He didn't _say_ it, but he _showed it when he died because of me," Harry replied coldly, standing up and walking out of the room. Sirius followed him._

 Minerva McGonagall watched the two of them stride away up the corridor outside of her office. The boy's back was stiff, and the dog looked sad.

 "You will learn that I am right, I think, Nemo Protectium," she murmured. She did not call him back.

***

 As she watched the young boy leaving her office, Minerva McGonagall thought back to her conversation with Dumbledore, the morning after he'd arrived.

 "Are you sure we can trust this new boy? This _Nemo_?" she asked the Headmaster.

 "We can trust him," Dumbledore replied. "I knew that he was lying about his last name, and possibly his first as well, when he first came to my office … but he freely admitted that this was the case. He told me that for reasons of protection, he could not give me his true name … Not without putting others in danger."

 "Are you sure that this is the case?"

 "Yes, and I have been told that he is hiding his name for the right reasons, and lives hang upon his continued secrecy," Dumbledore said firmly. "Or at least one life. An innocent life that the Wizarding world would not wish to lose … Though I do not know whose life this is."

 "Told by whom, exactly? Nemo?"

 "No, the Sorting Hat. I often ask it about the students, which should be taught in what manner, to try and dissuade them from turning to the dark. More often than not it tells me little, saying that the student must learn for his or her self what is needed," Dumbledore replied. "But the Sorting Hat seemed very … anxious … that I accept this boy Nemo, and teach him, and not inquire as to who he really is."

 McGonagall nodded her head. She knew very well that the Sorting Hat would not lie, and if it didn't want to tell the truth, it would simply refuse to speak. If the Sorting Hat said the boy should be trusted, then he should be.

 "I will do my best to dissuade anyone from asking too closely about the boys business," she assured Dumbledore.

 "Minerva? Try and get the boy to make friends, if you can," Dumbledore said, just as she was about to leave. "The Hat seems to think that it's important that he makes friends." 

 "I'll do my best, Headmaster," she had said, and then left.

 Well, she'd tried, and she would continue to try. If Dumbledore and the Sorting Hat thought that Nemo Protectium needed friends, then she would do her best to help him make some.

 And she completely agreed with the Headmaster anyway, all children needed friends, and lonely mores than anyone else.

 She would keep trying.

***

There, that will do for this chapter, I think! No cliffie, but oh well! Next chapter: Flying! And more Meetings with Malfoy also … hehehe, looking forward to it!

 Apologies for late update! Have been attempting to figure out glitches in the computer, and it hasn't been working so well. Apologies also for not sending out notices that I've updated *sighs* emails are one of the glitches I've been trying to figure out …

 Also, thanks to everyone who noticed the Mr. Potter error in chapter four, it has been corrected! If you notice any others, please, let me know.

Thanks:

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Wow! Lots of reviews – then again, I did put up two chapters last time! Please everyone review again!

~WolfMoon~


	7. Marauders Legacy

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Seven: Marauders Legacy

Sirius led Harry to a deserted corridor. Harry was wondering why this was when suddenly a door appeared on the wall. Surprised, Harry reached for the door handle and opened it.

 Inside was a very strange room indeed. It seemed a cross between the living room at Potter Mansion and the Gryffindor common room. Harry shut the door carefully, and Sirius transformed, going quickly to the door and placing a strong locking charm on it. 

 "There," he said softly. "We won't be disturbed."

 "But … where is this?"

 "It's a Room of Requirement – we've got one at Potter Mansion, remember?" Sirius replied.

 "Yeah," Harry agreed, looking around the room with new interest. "I think you mentioned once that there was one in Hogwarts, but I'd forgotten until now."

 "What was it that you were talking to Hagrid about?" Sirius asked.

 "You remember how we met up with him in Gringotts?" Harry asked.

 "Yes."

 "Well, I heard him talking to the goblin ahead of us. He'd come to get the 'you know what' from vault 'you know which'. The parcel he'd come out with had _v: 713_ written on it. I thought it might mean vault seven hundred and thirteen. Today he slipped. He said something about the 'philo', then stopped talking. It was obviously a slip, but I don't know what it was about …"

 "We'll just have to find out then," Sirius decided. "But we've been here for almost a week Harry."

 "Which means…?"

 "We haven't played any pranks," Sirius said with wide, innocent eyes.

 Harry laughed. "Quite right, we haven't. I take it you want to remedy that?"

 Sirius nodded vigorously, and Harry smiled. "We'll see what we can do … I want to get that Malfoy kid back though."

 "Only too happy to help," Sirius assured him. "If you'll help me with Snape."

 "Deal," Harry replied, and he and his godfather shook hands. Look out Hogwarts!

 Harry took out his father's copy of the Marauders Map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he recited, smiling slightly at the password.

 Immediately lines began to scrawl across the page. Eventually, it was covered in a map of Hogwarts. Harry smiled and searched the map until he found his own dot.

 "Sirius, it doesn't say my name?" he enquired, pointing.

 "Nope, I charmed it not to. It'll change on the rest of them too. It doesn't say my name either, you'll notice."

 "Maybe we should make it show our fake names?" Harry mused.

 "Hmm … Yes, otherwise if someone sees it they'll know that there's something different about us. I'll work on it tonight."

 "Right, good. Now … Pranks!"

 Sirius smiled. "Yes, pranks …" the two of them had their heads together long into the night, and ended up having to sneak back to the Gryffindor tower under the Invisibility Cloak.

 The pair of them had agreed on several pranks, and organised who would be taking care of what bits. Sirius had to do any difficult spells, which most of the pranks would be. By the beginning of the next year, Harry would be able to play a more active role. But there were still things that he could do.

 He and Sirius decided to start fairly small. Under the Invisibility cloak, Sirius went around to all of the classrooms and set buckets of water (invisible) over each doorway, and set it so that it would continually refill and dump water on each student and teacher as the came in or out of the classroom. Each was set to stay there until the end of first period.

 "Oh, it's good to be playing pranks again," Sirius murmured as he pranced down the corridors setting up the water buckets. It was nearly midnight, and the castle was all but deserted.

 When he saw Mrs. Norris prowling around the base of a statue on second floor, Sirius was so happy that he couldn't resist a little prank of Mrs. Norris.

 Nothing big … Mrs. Norris just now had dark blue-grey fur that stuck out in clumps all over her, and there was a bell that tinkled loudly around her neck. No sneaking up on unsuspecting students now!

 Sirius quickly finished his task and bounded back up to the Gryffindor tower. Harry gone to bed some time earlier to eliminate suspicion. The Weasley Twins would probably end up getting the blame. 

 He slipped silently into the common room and up to the first year boys dormitory, where he carefully packed Harry's invisibility cloak into the boys pack, then shifted form and lying across the end of Harry's bed, dreaming pleasant dreams and looking forward to the morning.

 Morning came swiftly, and with it, the pranks began.

 Harry laughed silently as he walked into Transfiguration. He got as wet as anyone else did, knowing that otherwise he might be suspected of setting up the prank. He didn't mind though – seeing the shocked expressions of his classmates and teacher was more than enough solace.

 McGonagall quickly dried her class and began teaching the lesson. Harry and Sirius had decided that they wouldn't play too many pranks at first, just one every couple of days. They didn't want to run out, and they didn't want to get in trouble either.

 Harry smiled to himself at the end of the Gryffindor table, listening to all of the students complaining about the water-prank, and smiled even more to see the Weasley Twins the subject of many annoyed glares.

 No one noticed Harry's smile – he was now fading from the minds of the school and it's students, since he'd made it _very_ clear that he didn't want to be friends with anyone.

 Harry hated Draco Malfoy and his bunch of cocky Slytherins. He really, really hated them. They were rude and obnoxious, always parading the fact that they were Purebloods of old families, with a fortune of gold behind them.

 The last part of this had been added when Ron snarled at Malfoy that _he_ was a Pureblood as well, and it had just made Malfoy's group even meaner.

 Harry knew that not all of the Slytherins were bad, but at the same time it _felt_ as if they were – the nice Slytherins were, Harry thought, quite reclusive and kept out of the spot light.

 Harry often found himself the brunt of Malfoy's taunting, but he refused to allow the other boy to provoke him into anger. Instead, he put his time to planning quietly effective pranks to play on the other boy.

 One morning Malfoy found himself with gold tinged pink-red eyes, which stayed that way for forty eight hours, on another occasion, the laces on his shoes were charmed by Sirius to continually come undone.

 Harry shied away from deliberately _harmful pranks – Sirius had suggested making Malfoy's shoelaces continually twist together and trip him up, but Harry had refused. If Malfoy got worse, then _maybe_ he'd consider using more humiliating pranks, but he didn't want anyone to get really hurt because of him._

 Sirius thought this was because Harry blamed Dan's death on himself, and didn't want to be responsible for more harm, and, though tempted, refrained from playing smarting tricks on the Slytherins. 

 Harry was glad that he was obliged to spend little time with the Slytherins, but, not long after the pranks began, he discovered that this was not going to remain the case.

 On Thursday they would be learning to fly. With the Slytherins.

 Lying on his bed in the first year boys dormitory, Harry talked absently with Sirius about it. "At least I know that I won't be making a fool of myself in front of Malfoy. Bet he's not half as he says he is."

 Harry had realised _very quickly that the Wizarding world revolved around Quidditch. He liked the sport, and knew something about, as well __loving to fly, but he hadn't realised just how obsessed his others his age were._

 Malfoy spent a lot of time talking about flying – most of it was bragging about how good he was at it, or complaining that first years weren't allowed to play on the House teams.

 Harry struggled not to laugh at the bragging competitions between various people that involved flying. Malfoy often told long and boastful stories that nearly always had him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters, and most of his group would smile and nod.

 Few ever challenged Malfoy to his face, and those that did were quickly drowned out by Malfoy's group, who protested that _no one was a daring as their leader. _

 Malfoy basked in it.

 In the Gryffindor common room, Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnigan often had competitions to try and find out who'd had the most daring escapes from Muggles.

 Harry did not participate in these exercises. For one thing, while he was (according to Sirius) a brilliant flyer, he'd never actually escaped from Muggles on a broomstick.

 The day before the flying lesson Malfoy was boasting again – this time in the library. Madam Pince was somewhere around the shelves and not in hearing range.

 Harry, however, was doing some homework on a table near by, and couldn't help thinking that Malfoy was aiming his 'challenge' at him. The Slytherin was just getting to the end of the story (this time involving an aeroplane) when Harry looked at him and cleared his throat.

 The rest of the Slytherin group who Malfoy was currently impressing turned to Harry with angry glares. "What?" one of them asked – Malfoy pretended to ignore Harry completely.

 "I couldn't help overhearing what your … _friend was talking about. I'm sure it's all _very_ exciting, but one would think that he'd have had to have been intelligent enough to avoid an aeroplane … I mean, how stupid do you have to be, to nearly crash into something that's about a hundred times your size, and claim it 'came out of nowhere'?"_

 Harry sneered at Malfoy, who flushed an angry pink, but before the Slytherin could collect himself and deflect the insult, Harry had packed his things away and left the library.

 He was looking forward to the next day. Not only would he be allowed to fly for the first time since arriving in Hogwarts, he'd also be able to show Malfoy that he wasn't the only one who could fly a broom well.

 The next day dawned bright and clear, even though it was nearly October and the days were becoming progressively wetter. Harry was happy – perfect weather for flying.

 There were, however, those among the Gryffindors who would be in today's lesson who were not so happy with today's timetable.

 Neville Longbottom had never been on a broomstick, his grandmother (who'd raised him) had never let him near one. Harry didn't blame here, as Neville was very clumsy, even with his feet firmly on the ground.

 Hermione Granger, a Muggle born, had never even _heard_ of Quidditch, though she knew much about Muggle mythology and the 'witch and broom' image that often showed up there. 

 She'd quickly learned that Quidditch was something you couldn't learn out of a book. One of the best students in every other subject, flying looked to be a serious weak spot.

 On the morning that they would learn to fly, she bored most of the Gryffindor first years silly with facts from the book 'Quidditch Through the Ages', which Harry already knew off by heart anyway.

 When the post came and interrupted her, the only who wasn't relieved was Neville, who'd been hanging on the girls words as though they were a lifeline.

 Harry did occasionally get 'letters' from his family, along with the occasional box of sweets, but it was a fairly rare occurrence, though Harry didn't mind in the least.

 Malfoy had tried to make a big deal of it … Once. He'd ended up in the Hospital wing for most of the day when Harry had punched him in the stomach, having lost his temper with the Slytherins continual insults.

 He had lost twenty house points for this, but decided it was worth it. Most of his house seemed to think the same, and for a day and a half most of them nodded slightly in greeting when they saw him, and smiled their approval.

 But, of course, when he refused to 'come out of his shell', they let him slide back into the background, which he was thankful for.

 Now he watched as, around the Gryffindor table, many people were receiving their post. A barn howl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother.

 When he opened it, Harry glanced over and noted that it was a Remembrall – he'd heard of them before. When someone held it, if it glowed red they'd forgotten something.

 Harry smiled slightly as Neville happily explained to his friends what it was, and demonstrated for them, his face falling when the ball filled with scarlet mist. Neville was too busy trying to remember what he'd forgotten, and therefore did not notice Draco Malfoy coming up behind him, until the blonde Slytherin grabbed the Remembrall out of his hands.

 Neville jumped to his feet, biting back a cry. Ron and Seamus jumped to their feet, obviously hoping for a fight with Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any other teacher in the school, was on the scene before anything could happen. 

"What's going on?" She demanded coolly.

 "Malfoy's got Neville's Remembrall," Ron jumped in immediately.

 Scowling, Malfoy tossed the ball back to Neville and sauntered off in the direction of the Slytherin table. "Just looking," he snarled, with Grabbe and Goyle, his bodyguards, following a little way behind him.

 At three thirty that afternoon, the Gryffindors made their way down onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. They discovered that Harry and Slytherins were already there – Harry and Malfoy glaring daggers at each other.

 There were twenty broomsticks lying in neat rows on the ground as well, and Harry had sat down beside the last one in one of the lines, Sirius lying lazily, panting, beside him.

 Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived quickly after the Gryffindors, seeing the students milling around in confusion. She was a middle aged woman of medium hight, and had short grey hair and yellow hawk-like eyes.

 "Well? What are you waiting for? Stand by a broomstick, all of you!" She barked at the group, giving Harry a smile as she saw he'd already done as she wanted.

 The broom Harry had chosen was one of the better ones, though it was still rather old and some of the twigs stuck out oddly.

 "Stick your right hand over your broom," Madam Hooch yelled at them. "Then say 'Up!'"

 "UP!" Everyone cried. Harry's broom shot into his hands, but he wasn't surprised. It was, however, one of the few that responded. Malfoy had gotten his broom, and Ron Weasley's drifted slowly into the air.

 Hermione's broom rolled off on the grass, but Neville's didn't move at all. Harry wasn't surprised – brooms could often sense when people were nervous. Not always, mind you, but occasionally they could.

 Madam Hooch showed everyone how to mount their brooms, giving ten points to Gryffindor when she discovered Harry could do it perfectly, and then information Malfoy that he'd been doing it wrong for years.

 Harry could already tell he was going to enjoy the lesson.

 "When I blow my whistle, I want you to kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch proceeded with her instructions. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. One my whistle – three – two –"

 But she never reached one, or blew the whistle. Neville, jumpy and frightened of being humiliated by being left on the ground, pushed off hard before she could.

 "Come back!" She yelled at him, but Neville was rising straight up, and Harry had a suspicion that the boy was afraid of heights. Up, he went – twelve feet – twenty feet.

 Harry saw his scared, white face look downing at the ground falling rapidly away beneath him, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and …

 WHAM. With a thud and a nasty crack, Neville hit the ground, face down, his wrist twisted beneath him.  The broomstick rose higher, and drifted off towards the Forbidden Forest.

 Madam Hooch bent over Neville, her face as white as his.

 Neville gave a yelp of pain as she gently lifted his wrist. "Broken," she muttered quietly, but Harry heard. "Come on boy. It'll be alright, up you get."

 She glared at the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing," she snapped at them. "You leave those brooms exactly where they are! Anyone who even _attempts to fly will be out of Hogwarts before they can say 'Quidditch!"_

 Neville, his face pale and stained with tears, clutched his wrist to his chest and hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

 The moment they disappeared into the castle, Draco Malfoy burst into raucous laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy's group immediately joined in with the verbal abuse, though their subject wasn't present.

 "Shut up Malfoy," Parvati Patil, one of the Gryffindor girls, snapped, she'd had enough of this.

 "Ooh, sticking up for cry-baby? Never thought you'd like a fat little idiot like him, Parvati," sneered Pansy Parkinson.

 "Hey look," Malfoy called, darting forwards and picking something up off the grass. "Longbottoms Remembrall … that thing his stupid gran sent him." The ball glittered as he held it up.

 "Give that here!" Dean Thomas cried suddenly, angry. Everyone stopped talking and looked at them.

 "I don't think so," he said softly. "I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to get once he's out of the hospital wing … How about _up a tree_."

 "Give it _here_!" Dean yelled again, plainly nervous.

 Malfoy leapt onto his broomstick and kicked off. He hadn't been lying, Harry was mildly dissapointed to realise – he could fly well. "Come on and get it then, Thomas," he sneered, hovering by the top of a tree.

 Dean didn't look like he was about to do anything, so Harry sighed. Everyone turned to look at him. "I don't like bullies," he remarked, not really talking to anyone, and grabbed his own broom.

 "No!" Hermione Granger yelled at him. "Madam Hooch told us not to touch the brooms! You'll get us all in trouble!"

 "Madam Hooch told us not to touch the brooms," Pansy Parkinson mimicked cruely, sneering at the other girl. Harry ignored this. Blood was pounding in his ears as he kicked off the ground.

 Finally – he was back in the air. The wind rushed around him, whipping at his robes and he felt a rush of fierce joy.

 He pulled the broomstick up sharply, shooting smoothly into the air and levelling out neatly to glare at Malfoy. "Give it here," Harry ordered coldly. He could see that Malfoy still remembered their last encounter. "Or I'll knock you off that broom."

 "Oh, yeah?" Mafloy sneered, but looked worried.

 Harry leant forwards and shot at the other boy, giving him just enough time to get away before Harry hit him. A few below cheered slightly, but Harry ignored it.

 "Catch it if you can then," Malfoy yelled, throwing the ball up in the air. Harry smiled faintly – too easy.

 He saw, as if in slow motion, the ball rise, glittering in the sunlight, and begin to fall. Immediately he turned his broom downwards,  shooting at the ground as fast as the broom would allow, racing the ball.

 He probably could have caught it before hand, but it was more fun this way. No more than a foot from the ground, Harry snapped the broom upwards, one hand snaking out to catch the Remembrall before it hit the ground.

 The Gryffindors burst into applause, and Malfoy landed angrilly.

 "NEMO PROTECTIUM!"

 Harry's heart sank faster than he'd dived. Professor McGonagall was running towards them. He trembled oh so slightly as he got to his feet.

 "_Never_ – in all my time at Hogarts-"

 Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "-how _dare you – might have broken your neck-"_

 "It wasn't his fault, Professor-"

 "Be quiet, Miss Patil-"

 "But Malfoy –"

 "That's _enough_, all of you! Protectium, follow me now!"

 Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Grabbe and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking silently behind his head of house, up to the castle. He wondered if he was going to be expelled.

 He wasn't sure he minded if he was. It would mean that he could leave here and go back to his quiet existence with Sirius at Potter Mansion, even if he would not be allowed to keep his wand.

 But at the same time, he realised he would miss Hogwarts if he had to leave. While he had no friends, and didn't particularly want any, it was almost pleasant to be surrounded by people.

 McGonagall did not say a word to him as she swept up to the castle and through the corridors and passageways. McGonagall stopped suddenly outside a classroom – one of the Charms rooms, Harry noted absently, caught up in his own thoughts. 

 "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for the rest of this class, please?"

 Wood? Harry wondered. Was this some implement used to make children behave? 

 He needn't have worried. Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth year boy who came out of Flitwicks class. It took only a few moments for Harry to recall that this was the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

 McGonagall led them silently for a while, then stopped outside an unused classroom. "In here," she said. 

 Inside the classroom, Peeves was writing rude words on the blackboard, but zoomed out the moment he saw McGonagall enter the room.

 "Protectium, this Oliver Wood. Wood, I've found you a Seeker."

 Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight, and Harry felt his emotions change in pretty much the same way.

 "Are you serious Professor?"

 "Absolutely," Professor McGonagall said crisply. "The boys a natural. Caught that ball in his hand after a fifty-foot dive – Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it!"

 "Was that your first time on a broomstick?" Wood asked.

 "No," Harry said, shaking his head slightly. "I learnt to fly when I was younger on an old family broom. It wasn't very good – even the school brooms are better."

 Harry was lying, but he knew that the broom he'd ridden at home hadn't been released until _after he'd said his family had gone into hiding._

 Wood looked absolutely ecstatic. "Ever seen a Quidditch game?" he asked eagerly.

 "No, but I know the rules and everything," Harry replied.

 "Wood's the captain of the Gryffindor team, and we need a Seeker," McGonagall explained.

 "He's the right build for a Seeker too," Wood said, walking around Harry and staring at him. Harry felt a little uncomfortable. "Light – speedy – we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor – a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

 "I shall speak with the Headmaster, I might be able to get him to bend the rules in this case. Heaven knows we need a better team than last year. _Flattened_ in that last match with Slytherin – I couldn't look Severus Snape in the eye for weeks …"

 Professor McGonagall looked sternly at Harry. "I want to hear you're training hard, Protectium, or I may change my mind about not punishing you."

 Then she smiled. "I trust you'll do very well."

***

That'll do for this chapter – it's already 3,960 words! Next chapter has the confrontation with Malfoy and we finally meet Fluffy!

Again, thanks to everyone who noticed the Potter error – I don't _think there is one in this chapter, but if you see one, let me know._

Thanks:

Dumbledore's Heir, Golden Moon Phoenix, Wyjara, Taka Ichijouji, Sophocoles, Songbreeze Swifteye, Jaded Angel8, jbfritz, jbfritz, AngelMorph, Songbreeze Swifteye, Cataclysmic, ReflectionsOfReality, kateydidnt, lunatyme, rayvern, Sweet A.K, iknowall, athenakitty, BlindJedi, TopQuark, Virusgod, DiaphanousChameleon, Jaime46, Katy Stgqvk, Maxx77, AltonShadeFoot, kodomo, Rachel A. Prongs, LordKazzeem, Believe, Remus' Girl aka Wolfies Rock, anonymous, Queen of the Jungle, Arianna N'Yristhel, Huskerinexile, Chicken Stars, King of the Nazgul, Lady Foxfire, Kraeg001, Musicstarlover, AnImE-aNd-Hp-FrEaK, Raven Potter Weasley, Aleh, sweedishshortsnout, Crap Apple Fairy, Hi How Are You This Lovely Saturday Morning, Hi How Are You This Lovely Saturday Morning, fullsailnate, JeanieBeanie33, Ellen is My Middle Name, hp4all, ananova, Destined Enchantress, Melissa, Kitten, Tomoe-Chan, Bob, Taka ichijouji, phoenixrising1, Cyblade Silver, Silver Scale Serpetn, Jeff, Phoenix Flight, adge9631, Akusai, Drajjen, Bukama, Marie, MikiBaby, Alexa, Empress Sarah-sama, Nasser Himura, Azntgr01, Calimora, HecateDeMort, howling wolf1, gaul1, gaia.

Sweedishshortsnout: I'm reading a book at the moment which has a Tae-Kwon-Do master in it, and this book calls it Kata … I'll try and find a book about it somewhere and check on that, thanks for making me aware of that.

~WolfMoon~


	8. A Narrow Escape or Two

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Eight: A Narrow Escape or Two

 "Wow," Sirius muttered quietly. He and Harry were both within the Room of Requirement, and it was now getting quite late at night.

 Harry had been excused from the rest of the afternoon's lessons, having asked to take Neville's Remembrall back to the boy.

***Flash Back***

 "Excuse me? Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked softly as he knocked on the door of the Hospital Wing.

 "Who is it?" an irritable female voice demanded. "Not another first year falling off a broom, I hope!"

 Harry thought he heard a faint, mumbled apology, probably from Neville. "No! Just a visitor!" he called back.

 The door opened and stern, short woman with a plump figure and a slightly annoyed expression poked her head around the door. "Who are you visiting?" she demanded.

 "Neville Longbottom," Harry replied quietly.   
 "You're the new boy – Nemo, isn't it?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

 "Yeah, that's me," Harry replied nervously.

 "Well, I hope I don't see you visiting here too often boy. Come in," she opened the door fully. "Longbottom's over in the corner there," she pointed him in the right direction and left. 

 "H-hello?" Neville stammered, looking quite surprised to see Harry. Harry didn't blame the other in the least – after all, he'd tried his hardest to avoid contact and friendship with anyone for some time now.

 "Hi Neville," Harry greeted, smiling reassuringly. "I thought you might want this," he held out his hand, palm up, with the Remembrall resting in it.

 "O-oh! Thank you! But … Why do you have it?"

 "Malfoy took off with it, he was going to leave it up a tree for you to try and get to. I followed him up and tried to make him give it back. He threw it up and told me to catch it, if I wanted it that badly. I dove, caught it, and landed," Harry replied.

 "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Neville said happily, closing his hands around the ball happily. "But … didn't you get in trouble?"

 "No, I got to be Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Harry replied with a smile.

 "Seeker? But I thought Seekers never … You must be the youngest player in-"

 "A century," Harry interrupted quietly. "Or at least, that's what Wood, our Captain, told me earlier."

 "Wow! That's amazing!" Neville's eyes were filled with amazement.

 Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Just don't tell anyone, ok? And don't let Malfoy walk over you."

 "I know – say it. Everyone else does. I shouldn't have been in Gryffindor," Neville said quietly looking down.

 Despite himself, Harry felt his heart go out to the boy. "Of course you do, Neville. The Sorting Hat knows what it's about. It saw something in you and knew that you deserved to be a Gryffindor. That means you've got a lot over Malfoy – where's he? In stinking Slytherin!"

 Harry didn't really feel this way about the Slytherin house as a whole, but he knew what Neville needed to hear. "Just be careful, all right? You deserve to be in Gryffindor, and you'll prove it in time, I know."

 "Thanks Nemo," Neville whispered.

 "That's ok. Just don't let anyone know I've been friendly – they might think I'm changing," Harry smiled, encouraging Neville to do the same. "And don't tell anyone about my being Seeker either."

 "I won't, thanks again!" Neville waved happily as Nemo slipped away from the hospital wing.

***End Flashback***

 "So, Sirius … You think I'll do well on the team?" Harry asked questioningly.

 "No doubt about it kid," Sirius replied, smiling happily. "You're the best!"

 Harry blushed slightly and looked down.

 "Good job with Neville too, by the way," Sirius added. "I knew his parents quite well. They were part of the Order of the Phoenix, they were great people."

 "They went insane, didn't they? Tortured to madness by followers of Voldemort, who were looking for his location?"

 "Yeah, that's them. Stinking Death Eaters. Neville doesn't seem to much resemble them, but … I think in time, like you said, his courage will be revealed and he'll show himself to be more than anyone expected of him," Sirius replied.

 Harry nodded slightly. "Well, come on! Let's get down to dinner – can't wait to see the look on Malfoy's face when he sees I'm still here!"

 Sirius laughed and nodded, changing form and bounding after Harry as they headed towards the Great Hall.

 Part way there, they ran into the Weasley twins as they wandered along a hidden passage. Fred and George looked faintly surprised to see anyone using the passage, much less the reclusive Gryffindor, Nemo Protectium.

 "Hello," they said nervously.

 "Hi," he replied absently.

 "Umm … How did you find out about this place? We know we haven't said anything … We were quite surprised to see you here," one of them, Fred, Harry thought, asked him.

 "I just know it. No student told me," Harry replied, thinking – well, it's not a lie, Sirius isn't a student.

 "Oh, ok … By the way, well done. Wood told us about you making the Quidditch team. We're on as well, Beaters."

 "We're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year!" the other twin added. "We haven't since Charlie left, but this year the team is going to brilliant. You must be good Nemo – Wood was nearly skipping when he told us about it!"

 Then they were gone, hurrying on.

 Harry smiled in slight amusement and headed onwards, making his way into the Great Hall only a few moments later. He sat down at his usual end of the table, tucking himself away from the main crowd.

 "Having a last meal, Protectium?" a voice sneered from behind him, not long after he'd settled down.   
 It was Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "When are you moving back to your stupid, cowardly family? Hiding away from the wizarding world in shame?"

 "Leave my family out of this Malfoy," Harry snarled dangerously. "You seem a lot braver now, back with your feet on the ground and your little friends behind you … You forget, I landed you in the Hospital wing with them right nearby before."

 "I'd take you on any time on my own," Malfoy sneered. "Tonight, if you like. Wizards duel. Wands only – no contact … You _have_ heard of Wizards duels before, haven't you?"

 "What kind of idiot do you take me for? One that grew up with _your_ family?" Harry sneered. "I'll be there – no seconds, ok?"

 "Fine," Malfoy shrugged. "Midnight, ok? Meet in the trophy room, it's always unlocked." With that, he walked away.

 "Excuse me," a voice interrupted Harry as he thought about the night.

 He looked up – the girl Hermione was standing in front of him, watching him almost thoughtfully. "What?" he demanded, irritable after his encounter with Malfoy, and starting to wish that people would leave him alone again.

 "I couldn't help overhearing what you saying to that Malfoy boy," she told him. "and you really _mustn't go wandering around the school at night! Think of the points you'll lose for Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really selfish of you!"_

 "I'll do as I like," Harry said coldly. "And it's none of your business. Goodbye." Hermione stalked away in a huff, but Harry didn't care. Hopefully she'd leave him alone now.

 That night, Harry and Sirius both stayed awake, lying on Harry's bed in the boy's dorm. Harry was glad that he was used to being awake late at night, otherwise he'd be really tired by the time he got to Malfoy. 

 He was listening to the snores and deep breathing of Ron, Seamus and Dean – Neville hadn't left the hospital wing yet.

 There was a very good chance that they'd get caught by Filch, or Mrs. Norris – they weren't going to take the Invisibility cloak, in case Malfoy saw it. It was going to remain a _secret weapon._

 "Half past eleven," Harry murmured to Sirius at last. "We'd best get moving. Just lead me through the quickest route of secret passageways, ok?"

 Sirius nodded and gave a quiet woof of agreement, heading into the common room. It seemed empty. They made their way quietly across the room until they were standing in front of the portrait hole.

 Harry pushed it open, and Sirius bounded outside. "I can't believe you're doing this, Nemo!" 

 A lamp flickered on, outside, Sirius gave a low, angry sounding whine. It was Hermione Granger – she was wearing a pink dressing gown and a frown.

 "_You_," Harry hissed angrily. "Go back to bed!"

 "I nearly told the Prefect – Percy," Hermione informed him coldly. "He'd have put a stop to this."

 Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. Ignoring the girl, he was out of the portrait hole before she could blink. 

 Hermione didn't give up that easily, and she followed him out into the corridor outside, hissing like an angry goose.

 "Don't you care about Gryffindor? Do you only care about yourself?_ I_ don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all those points that _I got from McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells!"_

 "I knew about them too," Harry snarled angrily. "And _I_ got points for it as well! Just go away!"

 "All right, but I warned you. You just remember what I said when you're on the train tomorrow! You're so-"

 But then she stopped. Harry turned around to wearily demanded "what now?" but saw 'what now' before he got the chance to ask.

 The Fat Lady's portrait was empty. The picture had left and gone somewhere else. No one could get into the common room until she returned.

 "_Now_ what am I going to do?" Hermione asked shrilly.

 "That's your problem," Harry replied coldly. "I didn't ask for you to follow me out here, it's your own fault."

 "I'm coming with you," she informed him suddenly, marching over to him.

 "You are _not_," Harry replied coldly.

 "Do you think I'm going to wait here for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us, I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

 "You've got some nerve," Harry stated coldly. "I'll do no such thing."

 Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Harry held up a hand. "Quiet," he told her. She looked about to protest, when she heard what he had. A noise, down the passage.

 "Mrs Norris?" Hermione asked nervously.

 It wasn't Filch's cat – it was Neville. "Thank goodness you found me," he whispered to Harry, not paying much attention to Hermione. "I've been out here for hours. I couldn't remember what the password was!"

 "It's pig snout," Harry replied. "But that won't help you. The Fat Lady's gone wandering off. How's your arm?"

 "Fine now," Neville replied. "Look, Madam Pomfrey healed it easy as winking," he showed Harry his now mended wrist.

 "Look, I have to go, and she seems intent on following me," Harry said. "I suppose you want to come too?"

 "Yes please!" Neville said, sounding relieved. "The Bloody Baron's been past twice already!"

 "Oh, so you don't mind _him coming?" Hermione sounded a little insulted._

 "He didn't try to stop me," Harry replied coolly. "He isn't an interfering busy-body."

 Hermione huffed, and Harry explained quietly to Neville what was going on. He was a little afraid when he found out, but was overall determined to come with Harry, with whom he felt safe. 

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn, Harry was scared of running into Mrs Norris, but Sirius seemed to be keeping an ear, nose and two eyes out for her. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed towards the trophy room.

 Malfoy wasn't there when they arrived. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight touched them. Cups, shields, plates and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. 

 The four of them stayed quiet, crouching near the doorway, waiting for Malfoy to show. "Maybe he's chickened out," Harry mused.

 "Maybe he was caught by Filch?" Neville sounded hopeful.

 "I don't think so, somehow," Harry replied tiredly.

 Then there was a noise in the next room. Harry raised his wand, and motioned the others to remain silent. A voice spoke, a male one, but it was not Malfoy. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

 It was Filch, talking to Mrs Norris. Filled with dread, Harry waved madly at the others to follow him and Sirius, quietly.

 Neville was barely got out of the room before they heard Filch enter it. "They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter. "Hiding from me, are we?"

 "This way," Harry mouthed at the others, and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery filled with suits of armour. They could hear Filch coming nearer – apparently he'd determined that they _weren't in the trophy room._

 Neville gave a soft whimper and leapt forwards, stumbling into a run. He forgot about Sirius, and tripped over the large black dog: head first into a suit of armour.

 "Run!" Harry called quietly, and they took off, spring down the gallery, not looking back to see where Filch was.

 The swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor, then another, Harry and Sirius in the lead, not even thinking about where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passage, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew to be miles from the trophy room.

 "I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville and Hermione were both kneeling, too exhausted to do anything else.

 "I _told_ you," Hermione gasped, clutching at a stitch.

 "We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," Harry said. "As fast as possible. Malfoy tricked me, obviously. He must have tipped Filch off."

 "Let's go then," Hermione said, sounding very bad tempered.

 Before they could get very far, however, they had one more bit of bad fortune: a doorknob just ahead rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom just ahead of them.

 It was Peeves. The moment he saw them, he gave a soft laugh of delight.

 "Shut up, Peeves, please. You'll get us thrown out," Harry hissed.

 Peeves cackled. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty!"

 "Not if you don't give us away, Peeves. Please don't," Harry said.

 "Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

 "But Peeves – that would be _helping Filch," Harry pointed out._

 Peeves thought about this. "Quite right," he mused. "Can't have that … Tell you what, run to the end of this corridor, go through the door there. It's locked, but I'm sure little witches and wizards can handle that. I'll send Filch off somewhere else."

 "Thanks Peeves," Harry panted. 

 "When I start shouting, go," the poltergeist said, looking positively delighted. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" he bellowed suddenly, and the group took off. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

 Harry and his friends thudded against the door. "Let me," Hermione snarled, grabbing Harry's wand and tapping it against the lock. "_Alohomora_!"

 The lock clicked, and the group piled into the room, shutting the door behind them, and leaning against it, panting heavily.

 "Which way did they go, Peeves?" they heard Filch saying, not too far away.

 "Say 'please'," the poltergeist ordered. 

 "Don't mess me about, Peeves, _now where did they go?"_

 "Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves said, his voice a taunting sing-song. 

 "All right! – _Please_!"

 "NOTHING! Haa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha haaaa!" and they heard Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

 "He thinks this door is locked. Ardeo, hush!" for the last minute or so, Sirius had been whining fearfully.

 Harry turned around, along with Neville and Hermione, and saw exactly what Sirius had been whining about. They weren't in a room, which they had previously suspected. Rather, they were in a corridor.

 To be more specific, they were in the left hand corridor on the third floor. The one that was forbidden to all who didn't want to die a painful death.

 And now they knew _why this was._

 They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. But it didn't only have two eyes, as most dogs might. It had six.

 This was because it had _three heads. And it had _three_ noses, twitching and quivering in their direction. _Three_ drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs._

 It was standing quite still, staring at them with all six eyes, all three noses pointed straight at them, all three mouths agape, ready for the kill.

 Harry knew that there were only two reasons that they weren't dead: one was that they had taken it by surprise. The other was that they had another dog (if an 'ordinary' one) in their company.

 But it was getting over both. There was no doubt what those thunderous growls meant.

 Harry reached for the doorknob – between death and Filch, he'd take death, but he thought that Filch might be gone already by now. They fell backwards. Just as Harry was about to close the door, he noticed something on the far end of the chamber, below the huge dogs back legs.

 He marked it in the seconds that he had to see it, then he was throwing the door closed, and hearing the dog bark angrily as one of it's noses thudded painfully into the wood. "Can you lock it again?" Harry gasped to Hermione, who wordlessly did so.

 "Let's go," Harry said, and they took off again, this time moving more easily through the castle. At least now they weren't running for their lives.

 "What are you all doing out so late?" The Fat Lady asked, staring at them, exhausted and panting.

 "Never mind that," Harry replied coolly. "Pig snout." They scrambled into the common-room and collapsed, trembling, into arm chairs.

 It was awhile before anyone spoke. Harry was thinking about what he'd seen at the last moment, before he slammed the door shut. The other two were too out of breath to do anything but sit and pant.

 "What do you think their doing, keeping a monster like that in the school?" Neville wondered aloud, looking rather panicked still.

 "At least we know why the corridor is forbidden now," Harry remarked, his voice touched with a morbid humour. "But I shouldn't have trusted Peeves, I suppose – he doesn't like students much, and he absolutely hates Filch. I thought that getting one over Filch might be enough to make him help us … But of course, he wanted to get over us as well …"

 Hermione had finally gotten her breath back, and with it was her bad temper.

 "You don't use your eyes, do you?" she hissed at them.

 "What, are you talking about that trapdoor?" Harry asked absently, not really paying attention to what the other two were talking of.

 "So you _did notice," Hermione sounded disappointed. "Well, anyway, it's obvious that it's guarding something … I wonder what?" She stood up suddenly and glared tat them. "I hope you're pleased with yourself, Nemo. We could have all been killed … Or worse – expelled. Now, if you don't mind _I'm_ going to bed."_

 "I don't mind at all," Harry assured her, completely unfazed. "In fact, I'd rather that you did. You aren't all that pleasant company."

 She sniffed and stalked off. "Get some sleep Neville," Harry advised the other boy.

 "Nemo?" Neville asked, as Harry stood up to walk up to his dormitory. Harry glanced back, raising a questioning eyebrow.

 "Yeah?" he asked.

 "Why don't you let anyone get close?"

 "Because my best friend died because of me. I don't want anyone else to," Harry replied, surprised that he answered honestly. "I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me, and I don't want to be hurt because of anyone else."

 He turned and hurried upstairs before Neville could say anything else.

 Besides, he wasn't thinking of anything that had happened this night, but rather what had occurred back before school started, and his meeting with Hagrid in Gringotts. 

"Gringotts ain't quite the safest place on Earth," Hagrid had told him. "Tha'd be Hogwarts."

 So, had the 'philo' something been moved to Hogwarts now, Harry wondered… It was time to do some snooping, he thought.

***

Well, that's it for this chapter! 3500 words, or thereabouts! Enough for you lot, I should hope!

 **Many apologies for the lateness of the chapter, but what with school going back and fanfiction going down over the weekend, I haven't had much time … It shouldn't take this long to update again, I hope.**

Thanks:

**Angelmorph**, Athenakitty, **Kathy Stgqvk, Shadow159, ****Wynjara, SnakeDynasty, ****Wolfia, jbfritz, ****Dumbledore's Heir, ReflectionsOfReality, ****Chicken Stars, MikiBaby, **torifire126**, Xyverz, **Eowyen Lady of Horses1361**, Romm, **Kemenran**, Drajjen, ****Lady Prongs, JeanieBeanie33, ****Taka Ichijouji, Kraeg001, ****Musicstarlover, Nicoletta, ****Gaia, Alice Finch, ****Pen, Phoenix Flight, **Gaul1**, Destined Enchantress, **Keebler-elmo**, ananova, **munch**, Songbreeze Swifteye, **Jaded Angel**, Howling Wolf1,**** Stix-the-Rebel, OhioGrl-HPFan, ****Chiquita-3, Lil Ole Me 97, ****Persephone, Nasser Himura, ****AnImE-aNd-Hp-FrEaK, azntgr01, ****LonelySpirit, Alexa, ****Prongs4, Wanderingwolf, ****Maxx77, Empress Sarah-sama, ****Samara-Morgan-101, Dweem-Angel, ****Muggle, wizardmon92, ****JerseyPike, I'm Just Too Lazy To Sign In, **Wren Truesong**, Anna L. Black, ****Btownbeast1303, Raven Potter Weasley, ****Tea-Turtles, PhoenixTearsp322, ****Magewhisperer-su, 411811 fgb, ****Shea Loner, Artemis the Hunter, ****Sirius's Gurl, uNoeWho, ****Calen, Prongs4.**

**411811 fgb**: I think I know what my own zodiac sign is, thank you. If you knew as much as you think you do, you would know that the Chinese year starts in February, and I clearly stated that my birthday was in January. Making me a Dragon.

**Destined Enchantress**: I was going to do it that way, but I'm not sure if he'd have been Seeker if that had happened, so I decided to leave it as it was in the book …

**Persephone**: you will notice that I used your idea in this chapter!

Munch: It is coming, but not in first year … Dumbledore might know in third … Haven't decided yet.

**Wizardmon92**: Send me an email, it's easier to communicate that way. I'd send you an email myself, but I don't know your address.


	9. Headaches

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Nine: Headaches

 Harry smiled faintly as he walked into breakfast the next morning. Malfoy was gaping in amazement, obviously surprised to see Harry still at Hogwarts, looking tired but cheerful. Harry smiled coldly at him, and Malfoy seemed to shiver.

 Harry had decided that the three headed dog had been quite an adventure, and that he wouldn't mind having another one. Indeed, he quite thought he could come to like adventures quite a bit .

 But next time, he thought that he should probably go alone, or with just Sirius. He didn't want other people going into danger because of him. Not even people he didn't like. It would have been more fun if he hadn't been trying to keep the other two alive and with him.

 Yes, the _next_ time he went for an adventure, he'd go with just Sirius, and they'd have a _great_ time. And they wouldn't have to look out for anyone but each other. That would be good.

***Flash Back***

 Once Harry and Sirius were sure that Neville had gone to sleep, Sirius transformed and cast a silencing charm around Harry's bed. "So . you think the dog is guarding something?" Sirius asked.

 "Yes," Harry replied. "I think that it's guarding whatever it was that Hagrid got from Gringotts."

 "Then this thing must be either really valuable, or really dangerous," Sirius said thoughtfully, sprawling across Harry's bd.

 "Or both," Harry added. Sirius nodded.

 But of course, they knew nothing about this object, other than that it was about two inches long and started with 'philo'.

 ***End Flash Back*** 

 Neither Neville or Hermione seemed at all interested in what lay beneath the trap door. All Neville cared about was staying as far away from the dog as he could.

 Hermione was now refusing to talk to Harry, but Harry didn't mind. She was bossy, and even though he sensed that she would be a good friend, if he cared to have a friend or she cared to make him one of hers, Harry was fairly happy to keep out of her way.

 Owls flocked into the Great Hall, as they always did, but today everyone's attention was caught by a long package that required six owls to carry it. Harry was as interested as everyone else in seeing who the package was for . and was quite surprised when it dropped in front of him, and was quickly followed by a letter.

 Harry opened the letter first, deciding that it might have something to do with the package . Besides, it was on top.

 _DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE._

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick, or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch Pitch at __seven o'clock__ for your first training session._

_Professor M. McGonagall._

 Harry smiled slightly, but, to the disappointment of the curious students, he obeyed the letters instructions and did not open the parcel.

 Harry finished eating and left quickly, before people started asking a lot of questions about the mysterious parcel.

 When Harry and Sirius reached the stairs out of the Great Hall, they found the way barred by Draco Malfoy, flanked, as always, but Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Mafloy snatched the package from Harry and felt it.

 "That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back at Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it _this_ time, Protectium, first years aren't allowed them."

 Harry couldn't resist it. "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand, actually," he informed Malfoy coolly. "What did you say you've got at home? A Comet Two Sixty? They just look flashy - not nearly in the same league as the Nimbus."

 Malfoy opened his mouth to reply, but found Flitwick suddenly at his elbow. "Not arguing, I hope?" he squeaked.

 "Protectium's been sent a broomstick," Malfoy jumped in immediately. Harry let a slight smile play across his face as Flitwick turned to him. 

 "Yes, yes, that's right! Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances. Apparently you're quite a flyer! What model is it?"

 "A Nimbus Two Thousand, Sir, best model around," Harry replied, fighting not to laugh out loud at the look of horror and surprise on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I got it! Thanks mate," he added, looking at Malfoy was a cool pretend smile on face, "I owe you one!"

 "That's what I like to see!" Flitwick exclaimed happily as Harry started up the stairs passing the stunned Slytherin by. "Gryffindors and Slytherins giving each credit and getting along!"

 Harry laughed quietly at he headed upstairs. "Well," he said to Sirius, "it's true. If he hadn't stolen the Remembrall, I would have never gotten on the Quidditch team!"

 "I suppose you think that this is a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hands.

 "Oh," he said, sounding dissapointed, "have you stopped ignoring me?"

 She glared at him and stalked off, looking for easier pray. 

 Harry and Neville had had little to do with each other since the incident with the great dog, but Harry kept an eye out for the boy whenever he was being bullied. Sirius had told him about Neville's parents, and Harry was determined to treat Neville as himself, rather than comparing him to his parents image and finding him wanting.

 At some point, he had begun to think, he might be friends with Neville. The boy was intelligent, in his own way, brave, friendly and sometimes even funny. Harry saw something of Dan in this boy, and wanted to help him improve himself and show the world how great he could be, despite the often belittling treatment he'd been given over time.

 Someone he was surprised to recognise some of Dan in was Hermione. She had . _something_ that he knew and loved, but every time he tried to pinpoint it . Well, it was gone. Overshadowed, he thought, but Hermione's bossy, know-it-all nature.

 Continuing on his way up to the Gryffindor tower, Harry felt confused. He _wanted_ to make friends again - he'd _loved_ being friends with Dan. _Real_ friends, like brothers. But . he didn't want anyone getting hurt _because_ they were his friend. By him or someone else.

 _If I make friends with anyone, that person will be friends with a lie. I am not who I have said I am, and I will have to continue to lie to them, forever, perhaps. I should not let anyone befriend Nemo Protectium, for no such person exists_.

 . But he _wanted_ to make friends with someone. Oh, this was confusing.

 Harry shook his head and walked into the Gryffindor boys dormitory, sitting on his bed and closing the drapes, so that Sirius could transform and help him unwrap the parcel.

 "Wow - this is a _good_ broom," Sirius muttered. "I can't wait to see you flying with it!"

 Harry smiled. "Tonight," he remarked. "I've got a practice with just Wood, as you no doubt remember."

 "Of course," Sirius agreed. "And you'll show him how damn good you are too! I told you you'd make a Seeker!"

 Harry laughed. "Yup, so you did," he agreed. 

 The day could not pass fast enough for Harry's liking. His mind kept drifting back to his broom, which was lying under his bed with wards that Sirius had put up around it - just in case.

 In case of what, he wasn't too sure, but they were there, and this comforted him.

 In his mind he could picture it perfectly, and did so frequently throughout the day, seeing clearly it's sleek mahogany handle, neat, straight tail twigs and _Nimbus Two Thousand_ written in gold near the top.

 It was fantastic - a broom to dream about. And he, Harry Potter, a first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, owned one of them.

 As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry and Sirius slipped away from the kitchens, where they'd been eating in favour of the Great Hall, and headed out to the pitch. Harry wanted to fly for a bit before Wood arrived.

 Harry looked around the Quidditch Pitch as he arrived there - he'd never seen so many seats. There hundreds of them, raised up off the ground in stands around the pitch, so that the spectators could see what was going on. Harry was reminiscent of a cricket stadium, but this comparison hardly gave the field justice.

 Harry had seen pictures in books of Quidditch stadiums before, and he had a pitch at his own home, but the Potter Mansion had not had a stadium around it - why would it, after all? There were only a few people who had ever been granted access to the Potter's most ancient abode.

 The desire to fly over took Harry as he looked around the huge stadium, and he mounted the Nimbus Two Thousand and shot into the air. It was amazing - this broom was far better than his old one.

 Swooping around the pitch, ducking in and out of the goals, Harry had the time of his life, his heart swelling with the delight of being back in the air, the only place he felt that he truly belonged.

 After a while, he noticed Wood standing down on the ground, watching him, and Harry quickly landed. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't notice you."

 "That's ok," Wood assured him. "I wanted to see you fly, without trying to impress anyone."

 Harry smiled faintly.

 "You'll make a great Seeker, I can tell you that. You're a natural, from what I've seen! You said you knew a bit about Quidditch?"

 "I know the rules, the balls, the players and all that stuff," Harry assured him. "We had a set of Quidditch balls at home, though we rarely used them."

 "Good," Wood said. "I was hoping that I wouldn't have to show you the Bludgers. I get bruises every time I have to get those damn balls into the box."

 Harry permitted himself a small smile. 

 "Since you know everything about the rules and such, we may as well see what you're like at catching things," Wood decided. "It's too dark to loose the Snitch now, so I guess we will have to make do with these," he fished out a bag of Muggle golf balls.

 "Let's get up in the air, Protectium, and see what you can do," Wood smiled in an almost challenging manner.

 Harry grinned savagely, only too happy to take up the challenge, and shot up into the air, Wood following at a slower pace on an older broom, along with the golf balls.

 "Right, here's how this works - I throw golf balls, and you catch them. I won't throw more than one at a time, but I might throw them in any direction," Wood informed Harry.

 "I'm ready," Harry assured him, raring to go.

 "Then let's get started," as he was speaking, Wood selected a golf ball and tossed it over his shoulder. Immediately Harry lent against his broom, shooting after the little white ball and catching it a moment later, tossing it back to Wood, who already had another golf ball out and had thrown it in an easy movement upwards.

 Again, Harry raced off, caught the ball, threw it back, and dove after yet another.

 Half an hour later they landed again, as it was too dark to see much of anything, let alone little white balls. Wood was delighted - no matter which direction he threw the balls in, and how hard, Harry always managed to catch them far before they hit the ground.

 "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he couldn't have played for England, if he hadn't decided to go off after dragons - the two loves of his life: magical creatures (dragon's in particular) and flying," Wood remarked. "Mark my words, the Cup will be ours this year."

 "Consider them marked," Harry replied calmly, not at all fazed by the other's praise. "I'll see you later." He slipped away from Wood's side as they entered the castle, before the Quidditch captain had a chance to say another word.

 Quidditch practice was three nights a week, adding this to all of his homework made Harry very busy over the next little while, though Sirius was a great help. The man was very intelligent (however well he hid it most of the time) and gave Harry as much help as he needed on homework, short of actually doing the work for him.

 Harry and his godfather continued to play pranks, and over the month before Halloween it became a common site (or sound) to see Mrs. Norris bounding angrilly through the halls, pursued by the tinkling sounds of a bell, magically amplified, which sung out every time her feet made contact with the floor.

 Filch was _furious_ with this, but had as yet failed to catch the Weasley Twins in any suspicious circumstances regarding this development. He had not been able to bring himself to think that it might be a new student come to torment him, but it was only a matter of time.

 Sitting in Potions class, a week before Halloween, Harry was seething silently. Professor Snape had taken five points from Gryffindor when Neville bumped into a cauldron, and another five from Harry for taking more than a minute to unpack (despite the fact that most of the Slytherins had not unpack their things ten minutes into the lesson.)

 Today was all theory, so there would be nothing to distract Harry from his dislike of Snape. He already knew most of the things that the Potions master was saying, as he had been spending much of his spare time (that which wasn't focused on pranks) reading up on Potions, so that Snape could not catch him unawares.

 Harry was often the annoyed recipient of sudden questions, which had absolutely no relevance to what was going on in that particular lesson, and had up to fifteen points removed if he took longer than a minute to answer any of the said questions.

 Needless to say, he never got any of those points back, no matter how many questions he got right.

 Harry had a bad nights sleep the night before, woken by the old nightmare that showed his parents death, and his temper had been frayed to breaking point with Malfoy's insults that morning at breakfast.

 Potions was the last thing he needed, that was for sure.

 The only thing Harry could think of to avoid rising to the Potion Masters bait was pranks, and, instead of having all of his attention focused on Snape, he only concentrated enough to write down relevant points. Sirius could always help him out later, if he needed it.

 Suddenly, Harry was struck by the perfect idea.

 His quill still moving across the page in front of him, Harry turned all of his spare attention to the black board. It was risky, using Wandless magic in a situation such as this one, but he had become more proficient at it in the last few years, and thought that it was time he gave himself a little challenge. After all, once this lesson was finished, he had no more until Monday morning.

 As Snape was facing the class, he didn't see his piece of chalk rise up from its usual resting position. Not many of the students noticed it either, being too focused on what the professor was saying, as they didn't want to give any excuse for points to be removed.

 But all of them noticed when words started writing themselves across the blackboard. The first thing to appear was a little rhyme:

_See that happy moron?_

_He doesn't give a damn._

_I wish I were a moron ._

_My god, perhaps I am!_

 The Gryffindors did their best to contain their amusement, but the Slytherins had no such worries, and laughed out loud at the stupid message.

 "May I enquire as to what you find funny?" Snape asked, though not sounding nearly so tried as he would if it had been Gryffindors laughing.

 "On the board, Professor - there is some stupid rhyme," Malfoy stated, still grinning.

 Snape turned around to view the board, whereupon the message disappeared. "I don't see any messages, Malfoy," he remarked.

 "It was there a moment ago," Malfoy protested, looking at the now blank board.

 "I'm sure, Mr. Malfoy. Kindly refrain from such behaviour in this class in the future," Snape growled, and returned to his lecture.

 Harry found this entirely unfair, as just about everything that Snape did was, and once more readied his will, raising the chalk again. This time no one failed to see the chalk rise, and everyone waited with baited breath to see what happened next.

 _Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow ._ trailed across the board, and disappeared as Snape whirled to look at the board, alerted by Malfoy's pointing finger.

 Finding, again, that nothing was the matter, Snape turned back to the class, and immediately words began again.

 _And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go_. Only the Muggleborns and some of the half-bloods recognised the words as being from a Muggle rhyme, and as most of these were in Gryffindor, they said nothing on the matter.

 Snape spun around again, when several Slytherins pointed at the board. He was obviously beginning to get angry.

 Harry decided to stop there, as he could feel a headache coming on - moving chalk and removing writing from the board took no small amount of concentration and effort.

 The moment that Harry released the chalk from his will, it disappeared altogether, and a moment later, words started appearing again. Everyone gasped at the obscene the suggestions that were popping up all over the board now, and Snape turned around again.

 This time the writing did not disappear, and Snape looked even more livid than before. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, there was a swirl of air and Peeves appeared, pegging the chalk at Snape's head and zooming off, rattling the door on its hinges as he passed through it.

 "You are dismissed," Snape ground out. It was nearly the end of the lesson anyway, and he wanted to take this matter up with the headmaster.

 Harry staggered from the room, his head now aching with a vengeance. He knew that he shouldn't have kept going after the first part of _Mary had a little lamb_, but he hadn't been able to help himself.

 Hermione was the only one who noticed him walking at the end of the line of students, holding his aching head. She wasn't sure why she was being kind to him, after all the rules he'd broken, but he looked to be in quite a bit of pain.

 "Are you alright?" she asked, approaching him warily, in case he snapped at her, or ordered his dog to attack or something.

 "I'm fine," Harry ground out, then gasped as a white starburst exploded in front of his eyes.   
 "Somehow, I don't think you are," Hermione remarked, taking him by the arm, with a wary look at Sirius, who didn't protest, and leading him forwards.

 Black and gold specs were dancing in Harry's eyes and he had absolutely no idea what direction he was in, feeling dizzy and sick, and but one of his hands twined itself in Sirius's fur, and he didn't protest at being led by Hermione. Sirius wouldn't let any harm befall him.

 Harry was aware that they'd stopped, and thought he could hear Hermione talking to someone, but it all seemed very loud and made his head ache further, so he didn't catch the words.

 A moment later another hand took hold of his arm and steered him forwards. Blinking his eyes frantically in an attempt to clear his vision, Harry soon realised that he was in the Hospital wing, being guided to a bed by Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse.

 He didn't say anything to her, being too busy concentrating on keeping his last meal down. 

 Madam Pomfrey set him down on one of the beds. Hermione stood near the door, waiting to make sure he was ok - Harry wasn't sure if he was thankful or annoyed about this.

 The nurse bustled away and returned a few moments later with a potion in a goblet. She held it to Harry's lips. "Drink," she ordered him sternly. Dizziness having receded slightly, Harry was able to process this thought, and opened his mouth. 

 The potion was bitter, but Harry swallowed it. Sirius had given him the same potion before when he'd had these headaches, and he recognised the taste easily.

 Immediately he began to feel a better . Well, his _head_ did, his stomach still wanted to heave. "Does anything else seem to be a problem?" Madam Pomfrey asked him kindly.

 "Stomach," Harry replied quickly, still concentrating on keeping his food down.

 Madam Pomfrey quickly got another potion and gave it to Harry, who drank it quickly.

 Immediately his stomach began to feel better. He lent back against the bed. "An unfortunate after-effect of that potion is that it makes you very tired. You'll have to stay the night here, just in case this happens again," the nurse said.

 "It won't," Harry told her.

 "How do you know?"

 "This has happened before," Harry replied calmly. "It won't happen again so soon after the last time. It never does."

 "Well, I'd like you to stay here anyway. Miss Granger wants to speak with you about something, she was the one who brought you here. You have five minutes, Miss Granger," the nurse walked away.

 Hermione came forward nervously. Harry didn't glare at her, he didn't have the energy. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

 "Yes," Harry replied shortly.

 "Nemo - you this has happened _before_? But . It looks so painful!"

 "Life isn't all sunshine and daisies," Harry snapped. "Bad things happen."

 "But so do good."

 "I never said they didn't," Harry pointed out.

 "Well, no, you didn't," Hermione admitted. "But you implied it."

 "Whatever," Harry shrugged. He was getting more and more sleepy, and Hermione was keeping him awake.

 "Aren't you going to thank me for bringing you here?" Hermione demanded.

 "Why? It would have gone away eventually," Harry replied. Well, he didn't know that, but Sirius would have been quick to get help, and Harry didn't like the feeling that he was in Hermione's debt.

 Hermione gave a sniff, stood up and stalked out without another word. Harry lay back and let his eyes drift closed. He was asleep in seconds.

 He didn't feel Madam Pomfrey come over and remove his glasses, he was too deep in the realms of the sleep.

 Harry didn't wake until morning, and when he did, Madam Pomfrey reluctantly let him leave. "If this happens again, come back," she ordered him. Harry nodded.

 With Sirius padding beside him, Harry returned to the Gryffindor tower. Hermione looked up when he entered, maybe trying to catch his eye, but Harry ignored her, going up to the boys dormitory to work on his homework in peace.

***

Well, there you go! Harry's being mean and pushing everyone away again, Snape gets frustrated, Harry gets sick from overstraining himself . and it was 3900 words long! Yay!

Next chapter - Halloween and troll.

Thanks:

**Crysania Fay**, Jaded Angel8, **Maxx77**, Dumbledore's Heir, **Surarrin**, BeastialSunStormDragon, **Songbreeze Swifteye**, dweem-angel, **athenakitty**, dreamer43, **solar**, kraeg001, **OhioGrl-HPFan**, MikiBaby, **Raven Potter Weasley**, hp4all, **PhoenixTears322**, Anna L. Black, **ReflectionsOfReality**, SerendipitousNightcrawler, **Calimora**, deddinty, **Jeanne2**, Destined Enchantress, **wi11ow**, Wynjara, **Musicstarlover**, howling wolf1, **Btownbeast1303**, wizardmon92, **Stix-the-Rebel**, Gaia, **ananova**, torifire, **Kathy Stgqvk**, Nasser Himura, **JeanieBeanie33**, Prongs4**, Phoenix Flight**, Empress Sarah-sama, **munch**, Persephone, **Quick Mettle**, Chiquita-3, **kodomo**, Samara-Morgan-101, **uNoeWho**, Jeangab057, **Romm**, MEMEME!!!, **Taka ichijouji**, Gaul1, **Butler**, Vicious Pixie, **Jeangab057**, Fire Tempest, Nicoletta, **Mike Potter 2002**, Pen, Fate, **Futagoakuma-tenshi01**, Cyblade Silver.

**BeastialSunStormDragon**: No, I haven't read that book . Is it good?

**Munch**: I haven't put Ron in the story because I don't think that, if he'd made friends before, Harry would have become friends with Ron. Ron just seems a sort of . Minor character thrust into a major role who doesn't seem likely to be friends with Harry. I don't know. I like Ron well enough, but it just seems unlikely, you know?

**Kodomo**: Luna isn't at Hogwarts yet, remember? She's in Ginny's year. Harry will meet up with her next year, probably.


	10. Halloween

**_PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY ORIGINAL FICTION, TENEBRAE EVIGILO. CAN BE FOUND ON FICTIONPRESS.COM. LINK ON MY BIO PAGE._**

**__**

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Ten: Halloween

 The morning of Halloween dawned bright and clear. Harry got up in the early morning, as was his want, and wandered the castle with Sirius until breakfast time came.

 Lessons began, and in Charms Professor Flitwick made everyone ecstatic, by declaring that he thought they were ready to make objects fly, something they'd all be dying to do learn, ever since Flitwick had made Neville's toad, Trevor, zoom around the classroom.

 Flitwick divided the class into pairs. Harry was put with Seamus Finnigan, and Harry was privately glad that it wasn't Neville. While he had begun to like the boy, there was no denying that in practical application of spells the boy was a disaster waiting to happen.

 Harry gave a private smile when Ron was paired with Hermione Granger – he wondered if either of them would manage to survive the lesson, they argued that much.

 "Now, don't forget our nice wrist movement," Professor Flitwick squeaked, perched on top of his pile of books, as usual. "Swish and flick! Remember, swish and flick! And make sure you say the words right – never forget old Wizard Buraffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest!"

 Harry allowed Seamus to practice first, as he looked around the room to see what was going on with the other pairs. It seemed to be very hard for most of them. Turning back to his partner to see if anything had happened, he saw Seamus prod the feather they'd been given to practice on. It immediately burst into fire, and Harry quickly put it out, but not before it had pretty much destroyed the feather.

 "Go and ask for another one," he advised Seamus, who stood up, a little shame faced and went to do as he was bidden.

 The only difference, Harry noted, between Seamus and Ron was that Ron hadn't managed to set his feather on fire. Apart from that, their successes, or failures, were fairly similar.

 "_Wingardium leviosa_," Ron shouted, waving his long arms around, doing a fairly good impersonation of a windmill. He was the saying the words wrong, Harry noted as Seamus set a feather on the desk before Harry.

 Harry raised his own wand, feeling the throbbing power of magic that was laid within it, and spoke the words in a quiet, no-nonsense sort of voice, "_Wingardium leviosa_," as he swished and flicked his wand.

 Beside him, though he did not realise it, Hermione had given up on her lecture on how to pronounce the words and was demonstrating to show that she _did_ know best. 

 Both feathers, under the influence of Harry's and Hermione's spells rose into the air. "Oh well done! Everyone, see here! Mr. Protectium and Miss Granger have managed it!"

 Ron and Seamus were both in bad tempers by the end of the class, as neither of _them_ had managed to get the feather into the air without the aid of their partners.

 "It's no wonder no one can stand her," Ron grumbled at Seamus as they left the classroom. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

 Harry watched as Seamus stumbled and a figure dashed passed him. Harry recognised it as Hermione immediately, and she was crying. "I think she heard you," Seamus remarked.

 "So?" Ron shrugged, continuing on his way. Harry hesitated, wondering if he should go after the girl, after all, if he was honest with himself, he did owe her a favour.

 He put it off, deciding to go after the next class, after all, he didn't want to be in trouble. If Hermione didn't come then, Harry would search for the girl, he supposed.

 Hermione didn't turn up for the next class – Harry hadn't really expected that she would, though he wasn't sure _why_ this was, and after this, Harry went up to the Gryffindor tower. Hermione wasn't there either.

 With a sigh, Harry headed up to the dormitory and dug out the Marauders map. He knew that the rest of the school would be enjoying the Halloween feast at present, but it did not sadden him in the least to know that he was missing it.

 Finding the map, he tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he murmured.

 Immediately lines wandered from his wand tip across the page, coming up with a perfect map of Hogwarts. Since most of the people in the school were at the feast, Harry was able to locate Hermione immediately in one of the girls' toilets. 

 He was about to wipe the map when he noticed another figure, racing from the dungeons at top speed, and marked 'Quirrel'. Behind the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor was … Harry cursed when he saw the label, which was merely, 'troll'.

 "Come on Sirius, we gotta get a move on! There's a troll in the dungeons, and I doubt Hermione is going to find out about it," Harry was racing down the stairs in seconds, the huge black dog at his side.

 "No need to hurry, dear!" The Fat Lady shouted from her portrait. Harry didn't have the time to correct her mistake, and was already darting around the corner and into a secret passageway.

 When he emerged near the toilets that Hermione was in, Harry cursed himself for leaving the map behind – now he would have no way of finding out where the troll was.

 Oh well, no time for that now, Harry went to run again, but Sirius gave a warning whine, and slunk behind a statue. Harry followed, wondering what was going on.

 A moment later, his questions were answered as Snape hurried around the corner. _What's he doing here_, Harry wondered, though he kept silent. _The troll is in the dungeons, not the third floor_.

 A sudden thought wormed its way into Harry's mind, but he had no time to think about it. He just wanted to get to the toilets and get Hermione out of there and back to the Gryffindor tower, before doing his best to slip back into the background at Hogwarts again.

 He and Sirius nearly flew as they headed for the toilets. Sirius was picking up a disgusting odour, which he knew must be troll, but had no way of conveying this to Harry, and anyway, it was against Sirius's morals to leave a girl in danger. At least, a young, innocent one like Hermione. If it had been his cousin … Sirius dragged his mind away from Bellatrix, to better concentrate on the situation at hand.

 Together they barged into the girls toilets. Only one of the cubicles seemed to be in use, and Harry took this as being Hermione's hiding place. "Hermione?" he asked.

 "Go away, this is a girls' toilets, you aren't allowed in here," Hermione sniffled from behind the door.

 "Hermione, why are you here?" Harry asked, though he already knew.

 Hermione started sobbing. "R-Ron Weasley s-said that I d-don't have any f-friends," she explained between her sobs. 

 "Why listen to anything _he_ says?" Harry wondered, knowing that Ron got very angry and insulting over the slightest thing, and usually didn't get anything right.

 "B-because h-he's _right_," Hermione sobbed louder.

 "What makes you think that?" 

 "N-no one l-likes me!" Hermione replied.

 "They're just stupid," Harry assured her. 

 "S-so y-you're stupid t-to?" Hermione asked.

 "No – I just don't want friends. If I did, I'd probably be friends with you," Harry replied calmly.

 "Why wouldn't you want friends?" Hermione asked, having been surprised by Harry's response, she'd managed to stop crying.

 "Because my best friend and his mum were killed because of me. I don't want anyone else to get hurt," Harry stated matter-of-factly, wondering why on earth he was telling her this. "But if you don't mind, I'd rather you came out of that toilet and came back to the Gryffindor tower with me – now."

 "Why the rush?" Hermione asked, unlocking the toilet door.

 "Because there's a troll loose in the castle," Harry stated calmly. "I'm not to sure where it i-" he was interrupted by the door crashing open. "Scratch that, I know _exactly_ where it is," he said, eyes wide with fear as he saw the huge troll enter the room. 

 It was a horrible sight – twelve feet tall, a dull granite-grey in colour, the troll lumbered into the room. Hermione saw it and _screamed_, stepping back towards the toilet she'd previously locked herself in. 

 Harry glanced at her and easily read the terror on her face. She wasn't ready to overcome her fear and face the troll … Not yet. That meant that he and Sirius were alone.

 Darting away from the toilet entrance, as the troll turned its dim eyes in that direction, Harry motioned wildly for Sirius to take the other direction. Sirius seemed to grasp Harry's plan, and bounded away.

 Harry seized the first thing that came to his hand, a piece of pipe, and hurled it at the trolls head. It bounced off and hit the ceiling, causing a loud ringing noise. The troll stopped, momentarily confused by the new noise, though it was doubtful that the pipe had hit hard enough to even make the creature notice.

 Sirius, from the other side of the bathroom, barked loudly. The sound rang deafeningly around the room, echoing and growing louder and louder. Harry held his hands to his ears as the troll stopped, blinked, and lumbered around in a circle to try and find where the noise was coming from.

 Eventually it decided to head for Sirius, and started dragging itself in that direction, swinging its club almost absently. The echoes seemed to be driving the troll into a berserk rage.

 It roared, and started towards Hermione, who had no means of escape. The girl looked up at the creature looming in front of her, still unable to move, she was so afraid.

 With a sigh, Harry ran forward and leaped. He did not notice the door to the bathroom behind him opening and nearly all of the teachers in the school starting into the room.

 Landing, he was balancing precariously with one foot on either of the troll's shoulders, rocking gently with the creature's movements. He praised his Sensei as he managed to keep himself poised without falling off – if it wasn't for his training in Tae-Kwon-Do he wouldn't be able to do this.

 The troll stopped over Hermione, and raised its club. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry cried, pointing his wand at the club. It jerked out of the trolls hand and Harry directed it around behind the trolls back.

 Confused, the creature turned and tried to reach its club. It was then that Harry noticed he had an audience. Thinking that the teachers would probably get him in trouble if he risked his life any more than he already was up here, Harry pushed himself backwards off the trolls shoulders, flipping his body neatly and landing lightly on his feet, at the same time lifting the spell on the troll's club, which turned over in the air and dropped down with tremendous force on its owners head, even as most of the teachers shouted '_stupefy_'.

 With these two combined occurrences, the troll made a half step forwards towards its new assailants, then keeled over forwards, narrowly missing Sirius, who jumped out of the way just in time. 

 Harry helped Hermione to her feet – the girl seemed to be a bit dazed. "Protectium, _what_ exactly happened here?" McGonagall asked, eyes flashing dangerously.

 "I didn't go to the feast," Harry replied. "I wasn't in the mood for it," here Snape snorted derisively, "and I was wandering around near the Library when I saw one of the portraits fleeing and yelling something about a troll heading towards the girls' toilets."

 "And this concerned you _why_?" Snape sneered at him. 

 "Because I heard one of the Gryffindor girls, I think her name is Parvati, saying that Hermione was crying in the toilets because Ron Weasley said that she didn't have any friends," Harry replied. "I thought it would be reasonable to assume that Hermione hadn't heard that there was a troll loose, and that I should probably come and get her back to the Common Room.

 "I was trying to get her to come out, when the troll walked into the room, Hermione froze, and the troll was coming towards her. I couldn't just let her get killed and save myself, so me and Ardeo tried to confuse it. It had just decided to ignore us and head for Hermione when I jumped on its shoulders, and that's where you came in," Harry finished his explanation calmly.

 "Well … That, without a doubt, is one of the oddest tales I have ever heard from a student, first year or otherwise," Professor Dumbledore, who'd been standing behind the rest of the teachers remarked. "Made all the more odd because I believe it to be true. Without a doubt, that was a very brave thing you did, Mr. Protectium. It showed selflessness that is quite admirable in one so young, and a bravery far beyond your years … But then, bravery is one of the Gryffindor Houses most outstanding traits. For your actions, I award you twenty points to Gryffindor … and I may have to speak with Mr. Weasley on the account of insulting another student … You may as well go back to your common room, both of you, and let the teachers clean this up. The feast is being continued there."

 "Yes Sir!" Harry and Hermione replied and hurried out, Harry was glad to be away from the smell of the troll, and so, evidently, was Sirius.

 "Um … thanks Nemo, for saving me," Hermione said as they walked.

 "You helped me before," Harry said, voice somewhat cold. "I was only repaying the favour." 

 "I'm sorry that your friend died," Hermione offered.

 "Your being sorry won't bring him back to life," Harry replied acidly. "Nothing will." 

 He walked ahead of her, disappearing down a secret passageway, leaving Hermione looking sadly after him.

***

End Chapter.

Just to make the point – Harry isn't going to make friends with Hermione as easily as he did in the books, but will probably do so in the near future. Please review!

Thanks:

**Sorrow1**, athenakitty, **pamela**, solar, **kraeg001**, Xyverz, **jeangab057**, Mike Potter 2002, **Nasser Himura**, torifire126**, Raphaelle**, Maxx77, **Lord of Darkness13**, HecateDeMort**, Wynjara**, deb-sampson, **gaia**, Prongs4, **MikiBaby**, Jeni Black, **BeastialSunStormDragon**, pen, **ananova**, munch, **Destined Enchantress**, Raven Potter Weasley, **azntgr01**, Songbreeze Swifteye, J**eanieBeanie33**, Cyblade Silver, **Jeanne2**, Creative Name, **gaul1**, Empress Sarah-sama, **Calimora**, futagoakuma-tenshi01**, Fate**, Butler, **uNoeWho**, bigstu**, hp4all**, GY**, Musicstarlover**, Konri Koneko (Kitty) Sage, **ping*pong5**, JerseyPike, **cantfindagoodname**, dweem-angel**, Kemenran**, Persephone**, Miya-chan3**, Schnuff, **PhoenixTearsp322**, Lil Ole Me 97, **Jaded** **Angel8**, HyperCaz, **howling wolf1**, Morianie, **cyress**, jbfritz, **Numba1**, DragonSlayer01.

Hp4all – I fixed up the errors that you reported – thanks for putting those in. As for the other comment, Wood said that they would have to get Harry a good broom, and I don't think that Minerva knowing what Harry was would change things at all. She wants to get Harry to make friends with people, and though I haven't put it in the story yet, she wants him to get into Quidditch and make friends with the people on the team.

Well, 63 reviews, not too bad at all! And now I nearly have 600 reviews! Wow, this is probably my most popular story to date! In Every Darkness gets an average of 43 reviews per chapter, After the Dawn: The First Years an average of 51, this an average of 66. Pretty good, huh? REVIEW PLEASE.

~WolfMoon~


	11. Quidditch

After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Eleven: Quidditch

As November's icy breath chilled Hogwarts and the surrounding country-side, Harry found himself practicing harder and harder for Quidditch, as the game against Slytherin was fast approaching.

 This was despite the fact that each morning when he woke up, he looked down on the frosted ground, saw Hagrid down on the Quidditch Pitch, defrosting broom tails. Harry smiled – he kept his own Nimbus Two Thousand in the dormitory.

 He spent most of his time out of lessons doing one of three things: training for Quidditch, exploring with Sirius, or without, and doing his homework. These activities, for the most part, kept him out of the way of the school body.

 _Everyone_ had heard about him taking on a mountain troll to save Hermione, and, for a few days at least, everyone thought that Harry was either going to announce that he loved Hermione, and the pair were going out, or that they would at least become very good friends and go most places together.

 As it would happen, neither of these events came to pass. If anything, Harry became more remote than ever, despite the fact that Hermione often turned up where he least expected her to, and tried to start up a conversation or a friendship.

 Harry was having neither, and was becoming, by the second week of this, fairly good at avoiding her. But Hermione, rather than halting her attempts to befriend him, became all the more persistent.

 Harry wasn't sure whether he was annoyed or secretly pleased with this. Obviously she wanted to be friends with him, but he was not yet ready to befriend anyone, let alone the know-it-all, bossy and (most of the time) more than a little annoying Hermione Granger.

 Harry would not have survived that this fore-run to the first Quidditch match without Sirius. It was Harry's godfather who checked over his homework each day, making sure that everything was as it should be.

 Harry looked over various Quidditch books, most of which he already knew. He remembered facts that he had half forgotten, such as the fact that all of the seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul had occurred during the World Cup Match in 1473.

 The day before Harry's first match, he was standing outside in the courtyard with only Sirius, reading over _Quidditch Through the Ages _in an attempt to sooth his nerves.

 Harry was ignoring the cold, though he could see Hermione sitting a little ways away with a jar of blue fire, which was obviously giving off heat. He was thinking of doing something of the like with his Wandless magic, when he saw Snape.

 The first thing that Harry noticed was that Snape was obviously in a horrible temper – his scowl was even worse than usual.  The second thing Harry noticed was that he was limping badly.

 Harry saw Hermione quickly hide her jar of fire, obviously not sure whether it was allowed or not. But Snape didn't notice her, limping over instead to where Harry was sitting. "What's that you've got there, Protectium?" he demanded.

  Harry showed him _Quidditch Through the Ages_.

 "Library books are not to be taken out of the school, Protectium. Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

 "He just made that up," Harry muttered angrily to himself as Snape limped away. Furious at Snape's actions, Harry thrust out his magic, turning the ground under Snape's next step into ice. The professor put his foot down and slipped, landing flat on his back and cursing foully.

 "Serves him right," Harry muttered, stalking away with Sirius, panting happily, padding along at Harry's side, both completely ignoring Snape, who was struggling to get to his feet.

 The Gryffindor Common Room was quite noisy that evening. Harry and Sirius kept to back of everything, though more than one person once more braved Harry's temper to try and get him involved.

 Harry had just finished his Charms homework, and had put it down on a stool beside him. Sirius, sitting just near the stool, could that way read over the work without anyone thinking it was odd.

 Harry felt restless, but didn't know what he wanted to do. He decided that he may as well head down to the Room of Requirement, which had fast become his favourite room in the castle, and practice Kata.

 Partway there, Sirius looked up at him, whined, and then padded off in a different direction. "Sirius, where are you going?" Harry hissed. Sirius jerked his head in the direction that he had headed in.

 "Not coming to the Room of Requirement?" Harry asked, and the dog shook its head. 

 "Well, I'll meet you outside of the common room in half an hour," Harry stated, slipping a hand into the bag that he was carrying, touching the silky folds of his Invisibility Cloak.

 It was not yet after-hours, so he was allowed to be out and about for a little while longer, but he still would avoid Filch if he could, and in half hour he _wouldn't_ be allowed out of the common room. He wondered where Sirius was off to, but knew his godfather would tell him in time.

 Half an hour later, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak with the Marauders Map held in front of him, making sure that he wasn't going anywhere near Peeves, Filch or Snape.

 In front of the Fat Lady, Sirius was waiting for him. Harry quickly gave the portrait the password, and hurried back inside the Common Room, having taken the Invisibility Cloak off some time before.

 He went straight upstairs, ignoring several invitations to join groups and hang out. He and Sirius quickly slipped through the drapes around Harry's bed and settled themselves, Sirius locking the drapes closed and casting a silencing charm, just to make sure that they weren't disturbed or overheard.

 "Where did you go?" Harry asked.

 "I was looking for Snape," Sirius replied delicately.

 "Why?"

 "I wanted to know why he was limping," Sirius explained.

 "What did you find out?" Harry was interested now.

 "You know when we saw him when we were going after the troll?" Sirius asked, and Harry nodded, "well, he was heading for third floor, and he got bitten. Tonight, when I was following him, he went to the Staff Room, and Filch was there, changing the dressing. Snape said, I quote, 'Blasted thing! How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?' … So, he must have been talking about the dog. What other three headed things are around this school?"

 "True … So, why is he trying to get passed the dog?" Harry wondered.

 "To get what it's guarding!" both of them exclaimed at once, eyes wide. 

 "So … We know that Snape wants what the dog is guarding," Harry said. "We know it's something to do with 'philo', we know that 'philo' is the package that Hagrid brought to Hogwarts from Gringotts, and was probably what the dark wizards were looking for when they went to the bank."

 "And Snape is _definitely_ able to be classified as a dark wizard," Sirius said, eyes narrowing dangerously – he _really_ didn't like Snape.

 "So he must have been trying to get this thing for a while now," Harry said.

 "Which means that _we_ have to find out what it is, and how to get it, before he does," Sirius finished. "I think we'd best start with Hagrid, he obviously knows _something_ about it."

 "I think you're right, after the game tomorrow. He said that he'd be coming, to cheer for Gryffindor," Harry agreed.

 "Good idea," Sirius agreed.

 Harry had been spending a little more time with Hagrid of late. Harry had not asked about the package, or even mentioned it again. Hagrid had made no more hints as to what may have happened to the package, nor what was contained within it.

 Oh well, maybe he'd let something slip if questioned about something directly related to the 'philo' something.

 That night, Harry slept easily and deeply, unaware that something that directly concerned him was going on below him in the castle proper …

_Quirrell_, a voice whispered in the back of the Professors mind. Professor Quirrell jumped slightly, not yet used to the voice coming at odd moments.

 "How m-may I serve you, my lord?" He asked quietly, unable to stop a slight stutter. His Lord was cruel, though necessary in walking the road to power. The stutter was unfeigned.

 _Tomorrow, you will kill the boy Nemo Protectium … If you can_, the voice replied.

 "But … My lord, why would you wish that?" Quirrell questioned, unable to help himself.

 _He comes from a family that once hid from me, I know it. Nemo Protectium is not his true name. Whatever his name is, his family were my enemies, and one of those who fled in terror before was able to destroy them. He will die_, the voice whispered in the back of Quirrell's mind. _And Quirrell? You should know not to question _me_, your Lord and Master_.

 A wave of pain swept from Quirrell's upper arm across his entire body, gone almost before he was aware of it, leaving his muscles weak and aching. _Do not do so again._

 "Nemo, you should eat something," Fred Weasley dropped down on one side of Gryffindors new Seeker.

 "Yes, just think of the humiliation you'd feel if you fainted from hunger and fell from your broom?" added George, sitting on the other side.

 Harry had learnt to tell the Twins apart already, one of the few who was able to do so every time he encountered them. For Harry, it had been a simple matter of marking one of them with Wandless magic, using the Marauders Map to make sure he got the right one. He had not cast an actual spell, but had left something that his mind could somehow _sense_ which twin had the touch of his magic.

 "Oh fine," Harry said. It was impossible _not_ to like the Weasley Twins, with their odd pranks and funny comments. Harry rarely spent much time with them, because he knew that he wouldn't able to avoid becoming their friend. He grabbed a plain bread roll and nibbled on it. "Happy?" he asked.

 "Ecstatic!" Fred assured him, and he and his twin got up and wandered up to where Lee Jordan, their friend, was standing.

 The moment they were gone, Harry slipped the roll under the table to Sirius. He felt terrible. In one hour, he'd be out on the Quidditch Pitch under the eyes of basically the entire school. 

 At least he knew he wouldn't make a fool of himself. That was a bit of a plus.

 Unless he just froze …

Don't think about it, he told himself firmly.

 Great … Now I'm talking to myself, he added, almost absently.

 Without noticing, Harry picked up an apple and nibbled on it, lost in his own thoughts. "Come on Nemo," George was back. "Let's get down to the pitch."

 Harry blinked, startled, then nodded. He hardly noticed when Sirius slipped away from him, he was way too nervous, and he knew that Sirius wouldn't be following him today anyway.

 By eleven o'clock, the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many of them had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

 As a gesture of encouragement for their new team member, Fred and George had organised for a few banners to be held over the Gryffindor supports with such things as _Protectium for President_. They'd even organised for some of the more talented artists within Gryffindor to draw lions and such.

 Harry was, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone save Sirius, quite touched by the offering of support. He certainly hadn't expected it.

 Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes. Slytherin would play in green.

 Wood cleared his throat for silence. "Ok, men," he said.

 "And women," said one of the Chasers, named Angelina Johnson.

 "And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

 "The big one," put in Fred.

 "The one we've all been waiting for," his twin took over.

 "We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred grinned at Harry.

 "Yeah, we were on the team last year," George added.

 "Shut up!" Wood laughed at them. "This is the best team we've had in years. We are _going_ to win."

 _Or else_, his eyes said.

 "Right, it's time. Get out there, play your best, stay safe and good luck!" 

 Harry followed Fred and George out of the changing room and stepped slowly onto the pitch. The crowd was a chanting mass of green and scarlet, blurring before his eyes into a single, massive body.

 Madam Hooch was refereeing, and Harry had quickly picked up that this was an accepted fact in the world of Quidditch at Hogwarts. It was only a rare occasion on which she _didn't_ referee.

 "Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said once the two teams were gathered around. Harry noted, with faint amusement, that she seemed to be speaking to the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, sixth year.

 "Mount your brooms, please."

 Harry mounted his Nimbus Two Thousand with confidence. 

 Madam Hooch gave a blast on her silver whistle, and fifteen brooms rose into the air. They were off!

 "And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too –"

 "JORDAN!"

 "Sorry Professor."

 Lee Jordan was commentating and Harry knew that if he bothered to listen to what the other boy was saying, he'd find it rather humorous. Harry, however, had more things to do than listen to the commentary.

 Harry shot upwards further, until he was far above the game. A flash of green behind him was the Slytherin seeker attempting to catch up, Harry turned his mind away. From here, Harry started circling the pitch, searching, ever searching, for the glint of gold that marked the Snitch.

 He heard the crowd go wild, and some part of his brain told him that it was Angelina who'd scored. 

 "Budge up there," a voice came to Hermione and Neville. They turned to see the giant man, Hagrid, coming up to them.

 "Hagrid!" Hermione had known the man for a while now, and she that Nemo was sort-of friends with him. More than he was friends with anyone else, save the dog, Ardeo.

 "Hi there Hermione," Hagrid said with a slight nod. "Bin watchin' from me hut," he said, patting a pair of binoculars as Neville and Hermione squeezed together so he could fit.

 "Any sign of the Snitch yet?" Hagrid asked. 

 "No," Neville replied.

 Way above them, Harry glided through the air, searching, always searching. A dim part of his mind noted that Hagrid had turned up, though he wasn't sure _why_, or _how_, he'd managed to realise this.

 This was part of The Plan which he and Wood had constructed, and which he and Sirius had embroidered when they thought it was necessary. 

 He caught sight of a flash of gold, but quickly realised that it was a reflection from Fred's gold wrist-watch. The Slytherin Seeker didn't work this out and hurried in the direction of the flash, while Harry kept his attention on finding the _real_ Snitch.

 A Bludger pelted in Harry's direction, and he dodged, nodding to George as the Weasley twin headed past in pursuit.

 Slytherin was in possession of the Quaffle when Harry saw it. Faintly aware of Jordan cried "is that the Snitch?" Harry was already diving for it. Terence Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker, had also seen it, and they hurtled ahead, neck and neck. Everyone else seemed to forget what they were doing and stopped to watch the two Seekers instead.

 Harry was the faster, now that he had his Nimbus Two Thousand, and he could see the Snitch ahead of him, he put on a burst of speed, registered a green blur to the side of his vision and spiralled out of the dive, straight in front of Terence, who braked on instinct, as Marcus Flint flashed below the pair of them.

 The Snitch was lost, and the Gryffindors booed and yelled 'foul'. Madam Hooch evidently agreed with them, even if Flint hadn't actually _hit_ Harry, he'd deliberately interfered when he'd realised that his player was losing. 

 Lee Jordan quickly got onto the commentary, though he seemed quite annoyed with the Slytherin captain, and was having a hard time getting back on track.

 "Alicia puts away a nice pass and slimeba-I mean _captain_ Flint tries to take the Quaffle … fails … the idio-_Flint_ tries to grab the Quaffle – I think that's a bit of cobbling there, Madam Hooch!" Sure enough, it was.

 Though a little pissed about having missed the Snitch due to cheating, Harry had returned to the higher parts of the pitch, and was once more searching for the elusive golden ball.

 Harry went to dodge another Bludger, when his broom jerked, nearly sending him straight into its path. He managed to pull it away, just in time, and wondered what the hell was happening. No broom had ever done this to him, that he could remember.

 It happened again, as if the broom itself was trying to buck him off. But … brooms did not try to buck their riders off – not without someone else interfering, at least.

 Harry scanned the crowd, he couldn't see anyone suspicious. No one had noticed that he wasn't in control anymore. Below him, Harry saw the Snitch – a glance told him that Higgs hadn't noticed.

 He kept his eyes on the ball, and, as people were starting to notice, lashed out with his Wandless magic, countering the curse, for that he knew it was, and plunging downwards.

 The crowd was on its feet, cheering in astonishment as they watched him, Harry ignored it, keeping up his Wandless magic, plunging down toward the Snitch.

 He snatched at it with one hand, feeling his hold over his magic weaken, his hand closed around the little golden ball, and then the broom bucked again. Harry was thrown off, managing to grab hold with one hand, the other clutching with a death grip on the broom.

 Everyone was watching, and, from this level, Harry saw Snape's lips moving. So, this was who was trying to kill him …. But why? Suddenly a spell lanced in front of him, heading straight for Snape. Harry immediately thought of Sirius. Professor Quirrell, at the opposite end of the row, held a hand in front of his eyes to shield them. Snape dropped, and the brooms movements stopped also.

 Immediately, Fred and George were at Harry's side. They couldn't get close before, without the broom behaving even worse. "Thanks," Harry muttered as Fred caught him and set him on his own broom.

 "Welcome Nemo," Fred replied. "You caught the Snitch despite a bucking broom – you're good!"

 "Thanks," Harry said again, blushing slightly. "It was nothing."

 "Was not," George disagreed. "That was spectacular. My brother Charlie couldn't have done it, I don't think!"

 From what he'd heard of Charlie Weasley, this was a compliment indeed, coming from his brother. Harry smiled briefly at George, thankful for the praise, though he did not want to admit it.

 "Why don't you two get down t'my place," Hagrid suggested to Hermione and Neville, who were sitting next him, not having moved when the rest of the Gryffindor supporters rushed down to congratulate the team. "I'll try'n get Nemo t'join us."

 "OK Hagrid," Hermione said, smiling. She and Neville had both befriended Hagrid at almost the same time. Both of them wanted the friendship of Nemo Protectium. Both of them had seen the spark of kindness and selflessness that the boy possessed, but which Nemo hid behind closed features and a general cold demeanour.

 In the past month, they had become closer, until they –finally- realised that they had, in their quest for friendship with another, had become friends with each other, and also Hagrid.

 The three of them had joined together in a powerful bond, to uncover the seed of goodness, the deeply embedded _longing_ for friendship that they all three knew Nemo possessed. 

 Hagrid worried for the boy, seeing the pain in his past, the pain that Nemo now allowed to rule his heart, so that the only one who could ever get close to him had been the red setter, Ardeo. He knew that Nemo wanted more friends, but that the past tragedy made him keep his distance.

 "I'll help yeh," he'd told Hermione, "to make Nemo realise he needs friends. I _won't_ help yeh to _force_ 'im teh be friends with yeh. 'E'll choose his own frien's; yeh ain't got no business choosing them for 'im, got tha?"

 "Of course Hagrid," Hermione and Neville had agreed, but Hermione, at least, was determined that Nemo _would_ be her friend, in her heart and mind she'd decided that for the both of them.

 And Neville would be their friend as well. Hermione had, once she'd gotten to know Neville, realised that there was a lot behind his clumsy exterior. She'd started helping him out in class, partnering him when it was required, and giving him advice.

 She'd also discovered, to her amazement, that he knew more than _she_ did about Herbology, something that she was somewhat annoyed about. But she was learning to deal with being second best in this area, as she often was to Nemo in other areas of her studies.

 Quite used to being the top of the class, as she had been since her first year at Muggle school, Hermione did _not_ appreciate the sudden challenge to what she had almost come to see as _her_ place.

 But something in her still called to befriend Nemo; something within him that inescapably drew her to him, desiring the bounds of friendship. Now she and Neville and Hermione were making their way down Hagrid's hut, and Hagrid would bring Nemo along soon, and then all would be well! 

 Hermione's step almost _bounced_, she was that happy, and beside her, Neville seemed no less happy. Hermione put the kettle on before she sat down at the table and waited.

 A moment later, Hagrid walked into the small, one-room hut, with Nemo walking, hands thrust into pockets, and Ardeo prowling by his side. The boy and dog both stopped as they saw the other two occupants of the hut, and Nemo turned his eyes coolly to Hagrid, demanding an answer.

 "They wanted to talk with yeh," Hagrid muttered. "An I wanted to as well."

 "About what?" Nemo asked, on his guard.

 "Teh start wi', the game," Hagrid replied. "Any idea why yeh broom was acting up?"

 "Snape was jinxing it," Nemo replied.

 Harry felt a little betrayed. He'd started to trust Hagrid now, after a little over a months steady companionship. Now he found Neville and Hermione in Hagrid's house, waiting for him.

 He liked Neville well enough, but _why_ were they here? And what did they want?

 "Snape?" three voices yelped as one.

 "Yeh can't be sure o that, Nemo," Hagrid said, looking a little uncomfortable.

 "Yeah I can," Harry replied. "His lips were moving, he wasn't blinking, and he was looking _straight at me_."

 "I read that you have to maintain eye contact for jinxes," Hermione said.

 "I know, that's why I know it was him," Harry said, before she could say more. Hermione looked down, disappointed. "He's been acting suspicious for awhile now."

 "How so?" Hagrid inquired, Neville and Hermione looking interested, but not wanting to speak yet, in case the boy refused to answer.

 "He was near the third floor on Halloween when the troll was out," Harry replied absently. "And he's been limping since. The three-headed monster-dog must have bitten him … I wonder why he was trying to get passed it."

 Harry wasn't concentrating on the situation at all, lost in his thoughts as he was.

 Hagrid, who'd just taken a gulp of tea, choked. "How do you know about Fluffy?" he demanded, staring at Harry in amazement.

 "_Fluffy_?" Hermione repeated slowly, stunned out of her silence, and Harry was jerked back to reality, realising what he'd just said.

 "He's mine," Hagrid said, staring at the three surprised and (in Neville and Hermione's cases, utterly terrified) faces. "Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year – lent him to Dumbledore to guard the Philo-"

 "The what?" Harry asked, as Hagrid broke off with a groan.

 "Ne'er mind, fergit yeh heard it," Hagrid replied hurriedly. "That's top secret, that is!"

 "Snape is trying to steal it, Hagrid, he must be!" Harry pointed out.

 "Rubbish," Hagrid replied. "But tha's not what I brought yeh hear to talk about," he quickly changed the subject.

 Harry winced, pretty sure he knew what was coming. "What _did_ you bring me here to talk about?" he demanded.

 "Yeh _need_ friends, Nemo!" Hagrid told him, and Harry sighed loudly. "Don give me tha! Yeh know it as well as I do! I woulda neva gotten over being expelled back when I were in third year if I hadn't a had friends!"

 "You were expelled?" Neville demanded suddenly, staring at Hagrid in surprise.

 "Yeah … I was," Hagrid replied, seeming a little embarrassed. "A little misunastandin', but ol' Dippet didn't want ta listen to me … Dumbledore did though – great man, Dumbledore. Got me my position as groundskeeper, actually!"

 "Oh," Neville said. "Why?"

 "Ne'er mind, ne'er mind," Hagrid muttered. "Bu' the point is, my friends got me through, and Nemo, yeh need friends yehself. Human ones. Nothin' against Ardeo – he's a fine beast, but yeh need to have humans yeh can connect with."

 Harry sighed again. "And I suppose you want me to be friends with them two," he waved a hand in Neville and Hermione's direction. "I'm almost friends with you, Hagrid, isn't that enough?"

 "Nah, I don't reckon it is," Hagrid replied. "Yeh need people yeh own age, students here, if possible, cos they know what yeh going through, and they can help!"

 "They haven't got a clue what I'm going through," Harry snapped.

 "Maybe we would if you let us get close to you for just five minutes!" Hermione yelled suddenly, appearing furious with him. Harry blinked.

 "An' I'm not saying that yeh should be friends with these two, necessarily, but yeh _do_ need friends, Nemo, and not just me and Ardeo. Think about it – Neville an' Hermione are ready to be your friends, all yeh have to do is accept them!"

 "I'll think about it," Harry allowed, not ready to say that this had hit a nerve, for it was almost exactly what he himself had been thinking lately. Without another word, he got up and walked outside, with Ardeo, whining softly, following by his heels.

***

 Well, Harry's getting closer to accepting Neville and Hermione now, for those of you who've been yelling at me to get a move on and bring them together, I'm getting there! I don't want to rush anything.

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Thanks everyone for reviewing and making writing this story so worthwhile! Please REVIEW again!

~WolfMoon~


	12. Prank

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twelve: Prank

 After he left Hagrid's place, Harry wandered, not really paying attention to where he was going, and ended up sitting among the roots of a tree, just on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

 "I don't know what to do, Ardeo," he murmured aloud, using Sirius's 'code name', in case there was anyone near by. "I want to make friends, I think. I want to have what me and Dan did, before he died," Harry's voice hitched slightly on the last word. "But I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me."

 "Nemo," a cool, old voice spoke from just near by, and Albus Dumbledore walked into view. "I thought I might find you out here – your house mates are celebrating, you know."

 Harry shrugged slightly. "Then I'll stay out here," he replied.

 To his surprise, Albus Dumbledore, one of the most powerful and respected wizards of all time came and sat down on the ground beside Harry. "I couldn't help overhear what you were saying to you dog," Albus scratched Sirius gently behind one ear.

 Harry was immediately on his guard. "Yes?"

 "And I think that it's time you and I had a little talk." 

 "About what, Sir?" Harry asked slowly. 

 "You, I think, would be a good beginning topic," Sirius had lifted his head now and was watching Dumbledore with the same wariness as Harry.

 "What about me?" Harry asked, withdrawing into himself even more.

 "How about, your reluctance to open up to anyone?" Dumbledore suggested, smiling gently.

 _So,_ Harry thought, _this man is good at appearing at ease when discussing topics that no doubt mean a lot to him, and to those he's talking to. Better watch out for that, he might catch me with a causal question._

"What about it?" Harry asked.

 "Why is it that you keep yourself so closed off from people, if you would like to open up to them?" The headmaster asked, turning bright blue eyes on Harry, and making Harry feel uncomfortable.

 "Because anyone who is friends with me might get hurt because of me," Harry replied.   
 "Could you explain this reasoning, Nemo?"

 "My best friend was killed by Death Eaters who were looking for me," Harry replied, and immediately cursed himself internally for saying that.

 "How do you mean, looking for you?" Dumbledore enquired, as Harry had known he would.

 "I'm a wizard, Dan wasn't. The Death Eaters were searching for wizards, I heard one of the Hit Wizards say so – wizards my age. Therefore, they must have been looking for me, and they thought Dan was me, and they killed him," Harry said, trying to cover his trail.

 "Yes … There have been a disturbing amount of deaths in wizards your age in the past year or so," Dumbledore murmured softly, speaking almost to himself.

 "Do you know _why_, sir?" Harry asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.

 "Because they want Harry Potter dead, and he is your age," Harry had to work hard at stopping his body and face from freezing – he had expected the answer, otherwise he might have failed.

 "Harry Potter, sir? I thought he was already dead? Killed by that Death Eater … Sirius Black?" Harry stroked Sirius's ears gently in apology for bringing that up.

 "That is the belief of the Wizarding world, but I see no other reason for Death Eaters to be killing or attacking people of that age," Dumbledore said softly. "So perhaps Harry Potter is not as dead as some might think." 

 "So _you_ don't think he's dead, sir?" Harry asked.

 "No, Nemo, I don't. What's more, I never have – though I would appreciate it if that never reached the ears of the Ministry."

 "It won't from me Sir, or my family. We don't have anything to do with the politics of the Wizarding World," Harry assured him. _Because they're biased fools who just want to stay in power_, he added to himself.

 "I didn't think that you would," Dumbledore said. "But that is straying from the topic of our conversation, which is not Harry Potter, but _you_."

 Harry had to refrain himself from remarking that the two people were actually one and the same. "I don't want to put anyone in danger for being friends with me," Harry said. "But in some ways I'd like to have friends again. Friends other than Ardeo," he stroked the dogs ears fondly.

 "I think, Nemo, that being friends with someone is not something that you can avoid for reasons such as that. It is something those would be friends with you must choose for themselves," Dumbledore remarked slowly.

 "What do you mean?"

 "Well, it would seem that you are afraid that your friends will be the target of possible attacks, simply because they _are_ your friends. What if you tell them that, and if they still want to be friends with you, knowing the risk, then they may," Dumbledore offered.

 "I suppose …" Harry trailed off doubtfully.

 "Think about, child. And remember: Help is always given at Hogwarts, to those who ask for it."

 With these last cryptic words, the Headmaster of Hogwarts jumped to his feet with the ease that a far younger, more sprightly man could envy, and headed off across the grounds.

 "C'mon Ardeo, let's go back up to the castle," Harry said, following the headmasters example and standing himself. "But _not_ to the Gryffindor tower. Maybe the kitchens?" 

 Sirius gave a woof of happy agreement, and the two of them made their lonely way up to the castle, though they were content in one another's company, as they had always been.

 Harry was sitting in a corner of the kitchens, feeling a little bit overwhelmed because all of the house elves were flocking around him and being as helpful as they knew how – which was, of course, every helpful.

 He and Ardeo had been provided with more than adequate meals, and Harry was quite happy to do the food and justice, and was full of praise for the cooks.

 His meal, however, was interrupted when Fred and George suddenly appeared in the kitchen. They looked very surprised to see Harry there, and walked over to him, asking the house elves for snacks and drinks.

 "How did you find your way in here so quickly?" Fred seemed amazed that a mere first year had found the kitchens so fast.

 "I'm good at getting into places that I'm supposed to stay out of," Harry admitted with a faint smile. After the talks with Hagrid and Dumbledore, he was feeling a little more receptive to peoples advances, and he liked the Twins, fellow pranksters as they were.

 "That's cool," George grinned. "Why aren't you in the Gryffindor Tower, celebrating like the rest of us?"

 "I don't like parties much," Harry replied.

 "Understandable, I suppose. We're just getting some more refreshments, and searching for this new prankster. He or she is pretty inventive, and we want to team up with them!"

 "Really?" Harry arched an eyebrow. "Well, you've found him," he decided that he would trust his heart and not his mind this time. Besides, the lure of a prank was always powerful.

 "What?" Both twins stared at him with expressions of amazement.

 "You've found him," Harry repeated coolly, grinning at the expressions on their faces.

 "_You're_ the one who's been playing all these pranks?" Fred and George gaped at Harry. 

 "Yup," Harry said proudly.

 "B-but!" the twins stammered, "how?"

 "Using some stuff that my family taught me," Harry replied. "We're all mischief makers."

 "You've done a great job!" Fred and George sat down next to Harry. "_We're_ certainly impressed! Heard about the words on the blackboard in Snape's room – I take it that was you?"

 Harry grinned, "yes," he replied. "And Peeves got blamed for it, which was even better. Snape wouldn't have found me out anyway though."

 "He's good at finding out things that you might want to hide," Fred warned. "Be careful of him!"

 "Oh, I will be," Harry assured them. "I love pranks, but I don't have a death wish."

 The three of them laughed at that. "Well … maybe we can band together – plan out a master prank, eh?" George suggested, leaning forwards conspiratorially.

 "Maybe," Harry said blandly. "You know the corridor behind the mirror on third floor*?"

 "Yeah?" Fred replied.

 "Meet me there tomorrow, after classes," Harry told them. "I'll think about it overnight."

 "You're a caution mate. We'll see you there – coming to join the party?"

 "You know, I don't think I will," Harry replied. "Thanks for the offer though."

 Saluting him, Fred and George walked out, taking all of the food that the House Elves had found for them. Harry smiled as he watched them go.

 "True Marauders, eh, Ardeo?" He remarked to the dog at his side. Sirius rumbled deep in his chest, and Harry smiled at the sign of agreement. "What say we take a look at the passageway now, mate? We haven't gone down that one yet this year."

 Sirius jumped to his feet, and headed for the exit, Harry following on his heels.

 Not long after, they'd arrived in the corridor where the passageway was located, and slipped in – not a moment too soon, for, unbeknown to them Filch walked around the corner even as they slipped inside and closed the mirror behind them. 

 Harry and Sirius walked deep into the tunnel, Harry following his godfather in the form of a large red dog. He didn't know where they were going, but he was certain that Sirius wouldn't get lost – he was, after all, a Marauder.

 Finally, Sirius stopped moving and, to Harry's surprise, changed form. "There's a second secret passage that leads off of this one," Sirius explained. "It leads to a Door of Desires."

 "Door of Desires?" Harry repeated doubtfully.

 "It's a door that takes you anywhere you want to go inside a specific building," Sirius explained. "You can only access it from here though … It _does_ make a handy escape if you ever need one when Filch is chasing you though!"

 Harry nodded. "I can see that," he replied. "A bit out of the way, but you can get where you want to be pretty quickly once you're here. How do you get in though, I don't think its on the map."

 "It isn't," Sirius agreed. "That's because it's off the maps boundaries, and we didn't discover it until our second year anyway. The password is _erised_."

 "Erised?" Harry repeated.

 "Desire backwards – your father and I were coming back from Hogsmeade –an illegal visit, of course- during a phase when we were playing with turning words backwards. Just as we walked by, your father said … What was it? _Oh!_ Yes, that's right! S_nave ylil erised I_, or, _I desire Lily Evans_ – it was just before she accepted his invitation for a date," Sirius replied. "Of course, the doorway opened, and we were pretty ecstatic about it, especially when we found the Door of Desires!" 

 "I can imagine," Harry laughed. "Since it gave you access to _every single place in all of Hogwarts_."

 "Exactly! Any place that has a door, anyway," Sirius replied. "There's a lot to be said for Doors of Desires, but they do have their drawbacks."

 "How do you mean?"

 "Well, it'll lead through any door, but it can't take you to, say, the passage you get at through that humpbacked witches hump," Sirius replied, "because it's not actually a door."

 "What about the kitchens?" Harry asked.

 "Oddly enough, you can get into them, and anything that requires a password and a picture frame, as long as you know the password. You can get into any of the commons rooms, except for the Ravenclaw one, because you get into that by the base of a statue, again, not a door, or a portrait."

 "The Slytherins?"

 "Yeah, you can get into those," Sirius replied. "It's a wall that turns into a door. The Door of Desires works strangely – they can be changed a little depending on what they want – a door that wasn't changed at all would take us anywhere at all, through just about any door-like opening, but this has obviously been charmed to emit certain places… Probably by the Founders themselves."

 "How often did you use it?" Harry asked.

 "Once we'd found it? Every time we had to come back from Hogsmeade in the dead of the night," Sirius answered with a laugh, and waved Harry into a room.

 Harry was amazed.

 The room, unlike the passage that led to it, was so bright it was almost painful to his eyes, which were used to the gloom of the passageway. There was a high, vaulted ceiling, and the inside of the room was made of wood.

 The floor was tiled in white, but in the groves between the separated tiles was gold. Torches shone brightly around the circular room, illuminating everything.

 In the very centre of the floor were two monolithic towers of stone. Suspended between them was a white beam, from floor to ceiling. "You have to put your hand into the beam and tell it where you want to go," Sirius told Harry softly. "Then it changed into a door and you can open it and walk to where you wanted to be."

 "Cool! I can get back to the Gryffindor tower without having to worry about being seen!" Harry said, sounding very enthusiastic.

 Sirius laughed softly. "Quite. Wanna try it?"

 Harry nodded and smiled. He stepped up to the white beam and placed his hand within. _'Destination?_' a voice whispered in his mind, not unlike that of the Sorting Hat.

 "First year boys dormitory, Gryffindor tower," Harry replied firmly.

 _'Remove your hand_,' Harry did so quickly, and the beam of white light shifted into a wooden door with a dull metal handle.

 "Go through," Sirius urged. "I'll join you shortly."

 Harry put his hand on the metal door handle and turned it. To his delight, it worked just as Sirius had said – there was the boys dormitory, and there wasn't anyone there. He walked through and closed the door gently behind him, going over to his bed and sitting on it as he waited for his godfather to arrive.

 It wasn't long before a large black dog slipped through the doorway, and nudged it closed with his nose.

 Over the next two weeks, Harry became almost-friends with Fred and George. He didn't hang out with them in public at all, but they greeted each other when they met in the hallway, and often met at odd places around Hogwarts after-hours to plan or talk about pranks.

 He also allowed himself to become sort of friends with Hermione and Neville, to the extent of occasionally deigning to sit beside them at a meal, and often sitting near them in classes.

 He rarely ever spoke to them, but he noticed that they were becoming closer friends as time went on. He was happy for them – maybe they would stop bugging _him_ to be their friend if they were friends with each other … But he doubted it. 

 That Friday, in Potions, Harry found himself paired with Hermione, and sitting near the front of the class – he didn't mind though. He, Fred, George and Lee Jordan (the Twin's friend) had planned a huge prank for this period, knowing that Harry would be having his class there.

 He hadn't let slip that he could do limited amounts of Wandless magic yet, so the Twins thought that he would have to use his wand to trigger the spell, thus placing him under Snape's scrutiny, but Harry knew that he could get away with it … If he timed it right. He waited until Snape had gone around the room and found something to criticize with _every_ one of the Gryffindors … Except for Harry and Hermione, who he ignored completely.

 Harry watched as Snape came up to the front desk and settled down to grade papers – he was fairly certain that most of the people were getting F's, or A+. He was also fairly certain that all of the people except for the Slytherins were getting F's.

 When Snape looked up from his grading and focused his attention on Harry and Hermione, who sitting quietly and watching their potion until it was time to add something new, Harry looked up, pretending to the check the board with an innocently concentrating expression on his face. His wand was lying on the desk beside him, _clearly_ not in his hands.

 At the back of the class, and explosion occurred.

 Behind the Slytherin desks and cauldrons, a bundle –carefully planted by Fred and George the class before- was touched by an explosion spell. It contained many things, but mostly some carefully extracted and re-charmed powder from the Filibuster Fireworks, that would still explode, but they wouldn't do the forming huge whizzing balls and things … Just fizz and spark and fly around the room manically.

 The Slytherins screamed as the sparks darted around them, flicking close to, but never actually touching, the students.

 Fred and George had been all for allowing the hot bright sparks to touch people, but Harry had said – very firmly – no. After all, what if the sparks went near a Gryffindor? In the end, Fred and George had agreed.

 The class was in an uproar and Snape was striding around, waving his wand and muttering, as he tried to get the sparks to stop. Instead he just spread them so that they were hovering around the Gryffindors.

 Harry watched the sparks at play delight – they looked _very_ pretty.

 Just as Snape was about to order everyone from the room, the sparks swirled together in a huge cloud near the top of the classroom, covering every inch of the available ceiling space, then stopped moving and drifted downwards.

 All of the sparks turned from multi-coloured to pale, delicate blue, and the class watched them drifting down with wary expressions.

 Everyone ducked downwards as the sparks reached head-height, but Neville was a little too slow, as was Harry, and the blue sparks settled over their hair and shoulders and sparkled.

 Harry felt the sparks caressing his cheeks as they fell, and laughed softly because they were cool in the warm air of the potions classroom.

 Everyone else was suddenly standing up, and the sparks were settling on them. Harry grinned quietly to himself – the prank wasn't over yet. The sparks all slid aside to avoid the potions, and settled more heavily upon the students.

 With an annoyed motion Snape swiped at the blue sparks that had settled on his arm. They didn't move at all. Harry's eyes danced with mischief as more people tried to swipe the sparks away … It didn't work for them either.

 Snape took his wand from a pocket, and tried to remove them with a spell. Harry had difficulty containing a smile, for the only thing that happened was that the sparks turned a brilliant shade of bubblegum pink.

 "Dismissed," Snape hissed at the students, who were all too happy to leave the stifling dungeons (and Snape's bad temper) behind as swiftly as possible.

 Out in the corridor, most of them burst into laughter.

 Harry easily avoided everyone else and slipped away into one of the secret passageways, Sirius hard on his heels. Soon enough he was within the secret passageway behind the mirror.

 Fred and George were waiting for him there. "Did it work?" George asked, eyes dancing, noticing the blue sparks on Harry's head and shoulders.

 "Yup – Snape tried to curse them off," Harry replied, laughing. "He looks _weird_ with little pink sparkly things all over him!"

 "We don't have him till Monday, thank god," Fred chuckled. "He'll not be in such a temper by then, hopefully."

 "The sparks won't go away until next Friday," Harry pointed out. "So he still could be a little peeved."

 "Well, hopefully we'll survive. He can't blame this one on us, even if we _did_ do it," George replied firmly.

 "I'll meet you back here after Quidditch practice?" Harry asked. "And discuss our next prank?" 

 "You're on!" The Twins grinned, and hurried away.

 Harry smiled faintly, the mischievous gleam still in his eyes, as he too headed on his way.

***

Well, I know it's been FOREVER since I updated, but look, this time I managed a DOUBLE update! Does that make up for it a LITTLE bit? I HAVE had two or three tests per week for the past month or so, plus homework, so I haven't had THAT much time.

Thanks:

Athenakitty, Lord Nomad, Destined Enchantress, Peak of Triumph, Wren Truesong, Musicstarlover, hp4all, MikiBaby, TopQuark, solar, SlytherinSupreme, Kemenran, jbfritz, Nphipps, Jeanne2, Samara-Morgan-101, Jeni Black, torifire126, Songbreeze Swifteye, draconisdagger2000, shdurrani, Dumbledore's Heir, Schnuff, BlahMiesteR, howling wolf1, Taka ichijouji, JeanieBeanie33, LostWriter08, ananova, azntgr01, Empress Sarah-sama, Prongs4, Draken Smythe, Wynjara, Butler, Jaded Angel8, walker-of-the-shadow-path, Mike Potter 2002, Lil Ole Me 97, munch, FroBoy, Fire Tempest, Fire Tempest, gaul1, BlindJedi, gaia, Nasser Himura, Silver Scale Serpent, Raven Potter Weasley, ritratitsussies, kraeg001, kraeg001, slayer faith, Cyblade Silver, Lady Shoibhan, steve, Quick Mettle, Angel, Prd2bAmerican18, dweem-angel, MagicalHorseGurl, wi11ow, jeangab057, Starlight Dreams, Fate, joe, Stix-the-Rebel, Caitlin, Lil' Moony and Lil' Padfoot, ColdFlameX, stanon_rox, cocopops, jeklsmom, eav, EmeraldKatsEye, Prongsblacks, Sierra-Falls, Star Mage1, Heather, Wytil, Dakana Warrior, AnimeGurl, P. D. Yerf. 

Hp4all – For point 1 – No idea how Hagrid does the defrosting broom tails thing, but J.K. was the one that first said it, so try asking her. The Flint thing – hadn't heard it, sorry, otherwise I would have changed it.


	13. Friends

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Thirteen: Friends

 Whistling softly, Harry wandered through the castle on Monday morning, meandering slowly in the direction of breakfast. It was December now, and snow covered the grounds, the outside windows of the castle were often frosted over and a chill seemed to have seeped its way inside somehow.

 But Harry didn't care. With Sirius around, it had been easy enough get his godfather to place a proper warming charm, so that Harry wouldn't expend his own energy using Wandless forms of magic to keep warm.

 His upper body was still delicately sprinkled with sparkling blue flecks, left over from the prank the Friday before. He was one of the few that hadn't attempted to remove the flecks, since he knew all too well that they would simply turn to more embarrassing colours.

 When asked why he was not trying to get rid of the flecks, which simply transferred to new clothing if an individual tried to get rid of them that way, he just shrugged and said that he thought they were pretty, and that he was sure that they would disappear of their own accord, and that he liked them fine as blue.

 Since he was known to be a little eccentric, everyone simply accepted this as one of little 'things'.

 That morning in the Great Hall, most people arrived late, dressed warmly but still shivering and huddling together to keep warm. Harry, however, sat aside from the main group of Gryffindors, as he always did.

 Again, no one even thought to question him.

 Today Sirius was staying up in the common room, lounging in front of the fire – Harry didn't blame his godfather at all. It wasn't all that nice down in the castle.

 Sirius and Harry had decided that Sirius shouldn't accompany his godson quite so often. It wasn't as if Harry couldn't take care of himself, and he knew his way around perfectly by now. Before they had liked to stick together, because it was familiar, but that was no longer strictly necessary.

 So Harry was alone this Monday morning, which was different. Everyone noticed the absence of 'Ardeo', and a few of the braver students asked about him.

 "No, he's fine, it's just very cold this morning, I thought he'd be more comfortable in the common room," he told Neville and Hermione, when they came over to ask.

 "Do you mind if we sit with you?" Hermione asked tentatively.

 "You can if you want to," Harry replied, shrugging. "I don't really mind."

 "Thanks," Neville said, sitting beside Harry, with Hermione on his other side. They were obviously trying not to swamp him.

 "That prank was quite something," Neville said, "The sparkly things are really cool!"

 "I know," Harry lifted his arms slightly to display his collection the sparkles.  

 "They _are_ nice, and all," Hermione said uncertainly, "but I think that whoever did that was a bit silly – if Professor Snape catches them, I don't know _what_ he'll do!"

 "Then we can hope for whoever it was that did the prank doesn't get caught," Harry said blandly.

 "Do you know who it was?" Neville asked with interest.

 "I might," Harry replied.

 "You should tell a teacher if you know, shouldn't you?" Hermione asked. "That would be the proper thing to do."

 "I don't want that person to be caught," Harry said firmly, and Hermione ducked her head, unwilling to come to a confrontation. "I've never lived my life by a rule book, and I don't intend to start now."

 Hermione blushed a deep red, and Harry was a little remorseful to realise that he'd embarrassed her quite deeply. "But I have nothing against those who do," he sighed, and she cheered up immediately.

 "Are you going home for Christmas?" Hermione asked, trying to make conversation.

 "For the first week," Harry replied, "but I'm coming back early."

 This was part of his and Sirius's plan.

 "I'm going to be home the whole time," Hermione told him. 

 "I'm staying," Neville added.

 "Maybe I'll see you in the last week," Harry remarked.

 "I'd like that," Neville said, with obvious sincerity.

 Harry was touched, in some vague way. "Would you two like to come and visit with me at Hagrid's this afternoon after classes?" he offered.

 "Oh! Yes, if you want us to come," Hermione looked astounded. Harry answered their questions and occasionally made polite conversation, but he'd never actually asked them to accompany him anywhere.

 "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to come," Harry pointed out, somewhat testily.

 Hermione held up her hands in a peace gesture, and the conversation subsided as they tucked into breakfast.

 "Aren't you cold?" Neville wondered as they walked up to Transfiguration after breakfast that morning.

 "No," Harry replied.

 Silence grew between them, since neither of Harry's companions wanted to provoke him into sending them away, which they knew all to well that he would, if he got annoyed.

 In transfiguration, the three sat together, down the front for once. They were working on transfiguring beetles into buttons, and Neville was having some difficulty. Hermione had needed four tries to get the spell right, but Harry hadn't even tried it once yet, he was trying to help Neville, while Hermione made a little pile of buttons on her desk.

 Finally Neville got the spell right, and Harry turned to his own beetles. From watching his two companions, he'd seen what not to do, and so he waved his wand and muttered in the incarnation. A moment later there was a button sitting on his desk.

 He smiled faintly. Beatles into buttons … What was the point? Well, he supposed it was a good easy spell to teach people, and if you lost a button in the middle of a bug farm or something it might be useful, but it would be easier to learn to just summon the old button back again, really.

 By the end of the lesson, even Neville had quite a collection of buttons. "Nemo?" he asked nervously as they left the classroom and headed for Charms, "could you help me later to make sure that I can remember the spell?" 

 "Yeah, sure," Harry replied with a faint shrug. "But why not ask Hermione?"

 "Because she talks to fast," Neville said sadly. "I've tried asking her for help before."

 "Don't worry, we'll have you remembering all the spells you learn in no time at all," Harry smiled at the nervous boy. He knew what had happened to Neville's parents, and he was fairly sure that Neville's home life had not been the easiest, since his carers would most likely want him to replace his parents as a great wizard.

 Neville was practically glowing with happiness as they walked into Charms class. Harry once again sat near to Neville and Hermione.

 The day passed swiftly and soon enough the three students made their way down to Hagrid's hut. "Well, you took my advice eh, Nemo?" Hagrid asked with a wide smile, seeing Harry in the company of Neville and Hermione.

 Harry shrugged slightly. "I took a lot of people's advice … To an extent," he replied coolly.

 "That's enough lad," Hagrid replied. "How are you three?"

 There were positive replies from everyone, though both Neville and Hermione complained about the cold. "Bin learning lots?"

 "Yes!" Hermione said enthusiastically, and treated Hagrid to an in-depth report of what had happened in classes over the past little while.

 "Hagrid, you know something about that dog in the castle, you know what it's guarding … You have to tell me, or talk to Dumbledore. Whatever is hidden is being looked for," Harry said, leaning forward to try and make Hagrid understand how important it was.

 "I can't, Nemo. It's safe, Dumbledore knew that it would be in danger, but him and Nicholas Flammel, they know that it needs to be hidden here …"

 Hagrid trailed off. Harry had sent a quiet glare at both Neville and Hermione, warning them to keep silent. "Just remind him again, Hagrid, please," Harry told the man. "I really feel that more guardians are necessary." 

 "It's got plenty of guards," Hagrid informed Harry. "You don't need to worry your head over it."

 Harry shrugged. He'd found out what he needed to, even if he'd convinced Hagrid that he'd missed it. The threesome finished their visit with Hagrid and headed for the school with Sirius following behind, in the form of a red dog. 

 "I'll see you later," Harry told Neville and Hermione at the entrance hall, and headed away with Sirius at his heels.

 "Bye Nemo," they replied, and headed on their own way to the library, with Hermione bullying Neville into studying, since he didn't seem to be getting the basics of magic which they were learning so far.

 Harry and Sirius made their own way through the castle, just wandering alone down abandoned corridors and skulking through lifeless towers and rooms.

 Their wanderings were aimless, each just relishing the sense of solitude, overlain with the delight of each others company. They thought of each other as an extension of themselves, there could be no intrusion between them.

 Eventually they made their way back up the Gryffindor tower, where Fred and George were tormenting their younger brother, Ron. Percy, Harry knew from the Marauders Map, was out on rounds, so there wasn't anyone who was going to stop the Weasley twins.

 Apparently, they'd stolen Scabbers, Ron's rat, and were holding him a little too close to the fire for comfort, while Ron desperately tried to get him back.

 "Guys, give it to him," Harry murmured on the way past. "Steal something that's not alive if you want to do that again."

 Fred and George, to the surprise of everyone else, gave Scabbers back to Ron, who looked to be on the point of tears. Rather than thank Harry, Ron gave him a vicious glare, as if to say – I didn't need your help!

 "Ungrateful little brat," George muttered, watching Ron race upstairs to the boys dormitories, holding tightly onto Scabbers, who was looking plainly terrified.

 "It's not fair to hurt another living thing while trying to annoy your brother," Harry murmured to Fred and George. "Try one of his chess pieces next time."

 Fred and George nodded. They knew that hurting something else probably shouldn't be done, but hadn't been able to resist the lure. "Chess piece … They make noise, but they aren't real – I like it, Nemo!" Fred grinned at the younger boy. Harry nodded calmly and headed up to the dormitory himself, Sirius at his heels.

 Harry gathered up his books and homework things, paying no attention to the quiet sobbing coming from Ron's bed. The boy was a bully sometimes, but he hated being bullied himself. To Harry's mind, that was the worst kind – the people who couldn't take their own medicine.

 With his things, Harry made his way down to the Room of Requirement. Few people knew this place existed and fewer still could get inside. Harry really did enjoy spending time here, just him and Sirius, lazing around on couches in front of the fire, with Sirius just sitting with his tongue lolling out, while Harry did his homework.

 "Am I really doing the right thing?" Harry wondered aloud, "becoming friends with Neville and Hermione? They'll be targeted because they're my friends, no matter whether or not anyone realises that I'm not who I say I am …"

 Sirius hid behind the couch, so that anyone walking through the door wouldn't be able to see him. "They made their decision, Harry, to be your friends. That's the important thing. I don't think you could _stop_ them being your friends, even if you tried."

 "I suppose," Harry said slowly.

 "It's the truth. They've decided that they want to be your friends, and despite the fact that you don't want to risk anyone getting hurt, you want to be their friend too," Sirius said firmly.

 "I suppose you're right…"

 "Of course I am," Sirius agreed, shifting form again and returning to lay down calmly in front of the fire. For a moment Harry did nothing but stare into the flames, his eyes filled with emotions, though his expression showed none of them. 

 Then he gave himself a little shake and started on his homework. It would be almost odd to have another friend again. It had been some time now since Dan had died, and Harry had kept away from everyone but Sirius ever since.

 But perhaps it was time. And like Sirius said, Neville and Hermione certainly wanted to be his friends… Well, nothing to lose from giving it a go, he supposed.

 Neville and Hermione would become his friends.

 Yes, it felt very good to think that again about an individual who was not Sirius.

 "Good morning," Harry murmured to Neville and Hermione, who were sitting in the common room the next day.

 "Good morning Nemo!" Neville replied, smiling widely, since it was usually them who greeted Harry, not the other way around.

 "Good morning," Hermione added, not looking up from a large book she was reading.

 "What are you reading about?" Harry asked courteously.

 "I'm trying to remember where I've heard of Nicholas Flammel," Hermione replied.

 "I'm still trying to work out who she means," Neville put in gloomily. "She says that I should be intelligent enough to work it out for myself, but I just don't get it."

 "Hagrid mentioned him yesterday," Harry replied immediately, "In relation to whatever it is that the dog on the third floor corridor is guarding. I started reading up on that myself last night as well."

 "Oh," Neville said, sounding a little small.

 "Don't worry Nev, I was trying to figure that out last night," Harry told the  other boy. "I tried to get Hagrid to talk about it, because I knew I had to be careful."

 Neville nodded, surprised that Harry had used a nickname in addressing him.

 Both Neville and Hermione were surprised by Harry's sudden willingness to hang out with them, initiate conversations and give opinions without actually being asked to do so. 

 He did still wander off on many occasions with only his dog for company, but neither Hermione nor Neville really cared – they had succeeded where everyone else had failed, and had become friends with Nemo Protectium.

***

End of Chapter: Friends. Next chapter is Christmas time, I expect – Ooh, this story is really moving along now! I really do hope that the next update will come a fair bit sooner, especially since I now have precisely twenty days in which I may do whatever is it I wish to! 

Thanks:

HyperCaz, azntgr01, kraeg001, jeangab057, Nphipps, Nicoletta, athenakitty, Wynjara, Romm, Xyverz, Jaded Angel8, Schnuff, Nasser Himura, Lord Nomad, JeanieBeani33, hp4all, Stix-the-Rebel, AltonShadeFoot, AnimeGurl, kathy stgqvk, gaul1, Shea Loner, Lord of Darkness13, howling wolf1, Jeanne2, Katepotter13, Sierra-Fall,s Naurien, Prongs4, Samara-Morgan-101, whacked, violingirl7, Empress Sarah-sama, dweem-angel, munch, stanon_rox, Raven Potter Weasley, jack4, Razorblade-Kiss666, uNoeWho, MikiBaby, Songbreeze Swifteye, Lil Ole Me 97, Wytil, Prongsblacks, Taka ichijouji, Fate, icedrake1, stardrow, Emma*, DF-default, Jemma Blackwell, Lady Phoenix Slytherin, meinien, meinien, reems, RidDles girl, blip-dragon, Musicstarlover, candfindagoodname.

~WolfMoon~

**Meinien**: I have heard from several sources that there are stiped belts in Tae-Kwon-Do, and it merely depends on the teacher or school. I have heard the study places being called Dojo, and the teacher Sensei on several different occasions as well, so you will understand that I am having difficulty pleasing everyone with my system. Also, I've never owned/played on a gameboy, so no, the idea didn't come from the Harry Potter gameboy advance.


	14. Happy Holidays

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Fourteen: Happy Holidays

 "The holidays are about to begin!" Neville told Harry delightedly, standing over the other boy and gently shaking him to try and make Harry wake up.

 "Whatever Nev," Harry mumbled.

 "Come on! Get up! Hermione's waiting in the Common Room to go down to breakfast," Neville told him.

 Harry groaned and sat up. Sirius was lying beside the bed and seemed to be laughing at Harry. "You shut up," he growled at the dog, but Sirius only wagged his tail and panted.

 "You treat Ardeo like a human being," Neville remarked as they walked down to the common room. "It's a good thing, but why? You talk to him, almost hold one side conversations at times, and he often looks like he's talking back with his facial expressions."

 "We've been together for a _long_ time," Harry replied. "Ardeo was the first real friend I have, and all the other friends have left me for one reason or another … Well, it's more that _I've_ left _them_, I suppose but yeah …"

 "I suppose if me and Trevor had been together for longer, I might talk to him," Neville said doubtfully. He'd been teased a fair bit about his toad since arriving at school – but no one had dared since he'd made friends with the elusive Nemo Protectium … If he could befriend Nemo, many said, there must be a lot more to Neville, and they should probably watch out for him.

 "Maybe. But a toad doesn't have the same sort of intelligence as a dog. They do have some, but dogs have more adapted to humans, and have such expressive faces," Harry said, as the pair of them stepped off the stairs and walked over to meet Hermione, who was waiting, a little impatiently, by the portrait hole.

 "_There_ you are! Come on, before we're late!" she called, already opening the portrait and scrambling through. With a shrug, Neville and Harry followed her out of the Gryffindor dormitory and down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

 The last little bit of school passed in a blur for three young friends, who were spending every bit of their spare time searching for a reference to Nicholas Flamel. Harry had asked Sirius, but the other man had only shrugged and said that the name had sounded familiar, though he could not quite remember where he'd heard it before.

 "Well, we can search through the library at home," Harry remarked to his godfather, "there might be something there."

 "Your mother would be the ideal person to ask," Sirius told him, "You know her, loved her books and information. We always used to tease her about it, but it always came in very useful, when we needed to know something. We would have never become Animagi if it wasn't for her."

 "Sirius, can _I_ become an Animagus?" Harry asked.

 "One day little matey, of course you can! You'll have to, keep with your ol' daddy and me! But not yet."

 "Why not?"

 "Because you need to have a certain degree of control over magic to become an Animagus, and a certain level of knowledge of magic. The absolute _earliest_ you'd be able to manage it would be in your forth year, but _definitely_ by your fifth!"

 Harry nodded quietly. Though what Sirius had made sense, he wished that he could become an Animagus before then. It would be so fun to be able to change your form whenever you wished to.

 Walking through the hallways, with the all the suits of armour singing, was quite an experience, but one that you could quickly grow tired of. Few of the suits actually knew all the words perfectly of the songs that they were singing, and those who do generally didn't manage to sing in tune.

 "Enchantments wearing off," Harry heard Professor McGonagall mutter one day as she walked passed one of them, "I really must remind Albus to renew them, soon!"

 Harry smiled quietly. Maybe he could help?

 He really did need to practice his Wandless magic, and Wandless magic didn't have the same rules as normal magic, so maybe it would be easy enough to just give the failing enchantments a boost.

 He decided he'd wait to try that until the classes stopped – he didn't want to completely wear himself out, but he really needed to train his Wandless magic again, he'd been focusing too hard on mastering the use of his wand, which was quite different.

 This could provide a good opportunity for him to practice, since that singing was _really_ bad, and he wished that it would stop.

 On the last night of school before the holidays were due to begin, the Great Hall looked a treat. Harry, Neville and Hermione had watched Hagrid carting trees up to grace the hall, but hadn't gone to close by, because they didn't want him to question what they were doing … Since they were still looking for Nicholas Flamel, they didn't want to make Hagrid feel bad about letting the name slip.

 Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and several third year students were trying to push couples beneath the mistletoe so that they would have to kiss.

 There were no fewer than twelve towering Christmas trees, which were hung with all manner of beautiful ornaments. Some glittered with icicles, others with hundreds of sparkling candles.

 The dinner itself was a feast almost beyond compare, though Harry was doing a fairly good job of convincing himself that he'd had better with just Sirius and him at Potter mansion, and had spent nicer holidays with Dan.

 After dinner, Harry slipped away with Sirius before Neville and Hermione, and headed into the more unused hallways, deciding that now was as good a time as any to get some practice.

 With Sirius looking at the Marauders Map so that he could warn Harry with a whine or bark if someone was coming, Harry sat down beside off-key and somewhat amnesiac suit of armour and found the power that was his Wandless magic.

 Concentrating very hard on what he wanted to do, Harry raised a hand to point at the armour, and released the magic. The moment that the magic struck, Harry felt it working, and a moment later the armour was singing perfectly in-tune and had all the words to the song it was singing right.

 Harry smiled with relief, and waved to Sirius to follow him. He was a little tired, but he knew that he could easily fix another suit before he had to rest … if not two.

 Harry managed to refresh the enchantments on _three_ more suits of armour, before a budding headache made him decide to quit while he was ahead.

 "Where were you?" Hermione asked him, as he scrambled through the portrait hole, "It's nearly lights-out already!"

 "I had to go to the toilet," Harry lied calmly, straight-faced, "and then I thought of a book I'd heard of that might have had Nicholas Flamel in it … it took me ages to find it, and then I went through it, but nothing."

 Hermione nodded. The only thing she justified being out late for was studying or searching for clues about Nicholas Flamel. "Oh, OK," she said. "What a pity, now we'll have to wait until we get back from holidays!" 

 "Can't you ask your parents?" Harry asked.

 "Both of mine are Muggle dentists," Hermione pointed out sadly. "They wouldn't have the slightest clue about _anything_ magical, let alone some scarcely known sorcerer!"

 "And I won't be going home for Christmas," Neville added. "I'll _try_ and look around the Library, but I've got a whole heap of catch-up work to do, and I want to try and get ahead a bit, since I'm always falling behind."

 "I think that's a _great_ idea," Hermione said firmly, "it's really very silly, putting this Nicholas Flamel research above our own class work. I know it's important, Nemo, but Hagrid _did_ say that Professor Dumbledore is looking after whatever it is. The research is a good idea, because it might come in handy some time later in History of Magic, but even if we don't manage to find out who Flamel is, it's not life-threatening."

 "Who knows whether it's life threatening or not?" Harry asked, shrugging. "We have no way of seeing into the future to see what we will require and what we won't. For all we know, finding out who Nicholas Flamel is could save the Wizarding world."

 Hermione gave a stern look as if saying, I know what I'm talking about, don't contradict me. She had become a lot more comfortable with him since they had become friends. "At least we _know_ that knowing our schoolwork will be very important," she said after a moments thought. "Finding out who Nicholas Flamel is _could_ be important, but schoolwork is _definitely_ important."

 Harry nodded, "I suppose that's true," he decided. "But I'm still going to work hard at finding out who Nicholas Flamel is!"

 "I wasn't suggesting we stop," Hermione sniffed, "I was merely saying that we mustn't let it get in the way of our schoolwork."

 Harry nodded. "We'd best get to bed," he said. "We've got to finish packing in the morning."

 Hermione nodded in agreement, and Neville yawned widely, not needing to say anything. The three young friends headed their separate ways to bed.

 Next morning, Harry was packed and ready before anyone else was up, since Sirius had decided it would be funny to wake him at the unholy hour of five AM.

 Harry had gotten revenge by dumping cold water on his godfather, within the soundproofed confines of his bed. Dripping with water, Sirius had shaken it all over Harry, then transformed back to human to use a quick drying spell on both of them.

 "Well, at least it woke me up," Harry remarked, grinning at Sirius, who grinned back. "Help me pack?"

 "Sure," Sirius replied, and they had set to it, before wandering downstairs to the common room to sit curled up on the lounge in front of the dim fireplace.

 Harry extended his Wandless magic to the fire, and suddenly it was roaring with flames, spreading warmth through the December chill that had been seeping through the walls.

 For most of the morning they sat there together, before Harry decided that it was early enough that he wouldn't get into trouble with Filch if he was caught, and went out into the corridors to search out some more suits of armour.

 Before breakfast, Harry corrected the spells on a further three suits of armour, and thought to himself, _there are about one thousand suits of armour in this school! This is going to take me _forever_._

 Harry headed in to breakfast, arriving before most of the students had dragged themselves out of bed. After all, it _was_ the first day of the holidays, so why _would_ they get up early for breakfast?

 Most likely only those who were going home for Christmas would turn up for the morning meal at all, but that would probably be most of the students, this holidays at least. Christmas was, after all, a family time.

 Neville and Hermione joined him shortly. "You have waited for us," Hermione scolded quietly.

 "I got up really early and went to the library," the lie fell from Harry's lips easily, though he didn't like it. But he did not yet wish to reveal his powers to his new friends, so a few lies would be necessary to keep them from guessing his secret. 

 "Find anything?" Hermione asked, not very hopefully.

 "Nope," Harry replied. "I'll look while I'm at home though."

 Hermione nodded, "Have you finished packing?" she asked him.

 "Yup," Harry replied. "I'm ready to go, what about you?"

 "I finished off last night," Hermione replied.

 "And I'm staying here, so I don't have to," Neville put in. Harry _tried_ to keep the other boy included in the conversation, but sometimes Hermione just wasn't very diplomatic in the subjects that she chose to talk about, and Neville could be left out. Harry knew that he sometimes chose less than fantastic subjects, but he also knew that he didn't do so nearly as often as his female friend did.

 "Well, I'll be coming back soon enough to keep you company," Harry pointed out. "The Weasley boys are all staying, because their parents are going to Romania to visit with another one of their sons."

 "How do you know that?" Hermione asked, interested.

 "Asked Fred and George," Harry replied. He still didn't like Ron much, who was loud-mouthed, often insulting and easily prejudiced. He hated all Slytherins, simply because of their House, and had a habit of complaining about being poor, without actually _saying_ so out loud.

 Harry didn't believe in any of the House prejudice stuff, because he knew that plenty of the Slytherins were nice people – it wasn't their fault if they were naturally cunning or sly. That would make them good commanders in a war, if one broke out.

 If he hadn't been trying to avoid friendships with everyone, there were several Slytherins who seemed nice enough, who he would have been happy to befriend. Maybe he still would, but he didn't know for sure as yet.

 Definitely _not_ Malfoy though. The blonde boy was a Slytherin of the worst sort, obnoxious, pure-blooded, prejudiced, and nasty. Someone Harry had no trouble picturing as a Death Eater, should Lord Voldemort ever return to power.

 Sirius had often said that he didn't think that Voldemort was gone for good … at least, not yet. Harry didn't know what this meant, and wasn't sure that he should ask. If it involved him, Sirius would surely tell him when the time was right.

 "Nemo?" Neville waved a hand in front of Harry's face, "snap out of it mate, you're off in la-la land there."  
 Harry shook his head slightly and smiled at his friends, "Sorry, just thinking about home," he told them calmly.

 Home.

***

OK, next chapter we have the holidays, possibly discovering Nicholas Flamel, and _definitely_ the Mirror of Erised.

Please review!

Thanks:

Starlight Dreams, athenakitty, Wren Truesong, Sword of Darkness, cocopops, solar1, TheWall, MikiBaby, Spiffycool, wizardmon92, Stix-the-Rebel, jbfritz, Cat, Liath, torifire126, TopQuark, magicgirl10, katepotter, HyperCaz, Bruised Shoulder, Schnuff, Jeanne2, MarsIsBrightTonight, blip-dragon, azntgr01, Heart and Mind, Empress Sarah-sama, Nphipps, Jaded Angel8, Wynjara, Wytile, Samara-Morgan-101, Musicstarlover, kraeg001, Nasser Himura, Lord of Darkness11, PuckStar, henriette, goDDark, henriette, Cyblade Silver, Rumulan Empress, SilverDagger, Songbreeze Swifteye, amme, violingirl7, Prongs4, Faceless One, JeanieBeanie33, Msamandah, GinnyPotter.

~WolfMoon~


	15. Discoveries

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Fifteen: Discoveries

Harry and Ardeo sat with Hermione in the very last compartment of the train on their way to Kings Cross station. "Looking forward to seeing your parents again?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Yes," Hermione replied fervently. "We haven't been away from each other for this long before. I mean, magic is exciting and all, but boarding school seems so daunting … my family are a very close, so it's a bit of a shock to be away from them."

Harry had no doubt that if Sirius had been with him at Hogwarts, he would be looking forward to going home a hundred times more than he did at the moment.

"What about you?" Hermione asked, after a moment.

"I suppose it's been a lot easier on me, since I've known I'd be going to Hogwarts pretty much all of my life. My family decided it when I was very young. And besides, I had Ardeo with me, and he's been my companion for ages, so I'm happy to hang out anywhere where he is … But yes, I'm looking forward to getting home again."

The pair of them lapsed into silence and watched as the country side sped by.

"I'll see you after the break," Harry said, as they prepared to leave the Hogwarts Express and step onto the crowded platform.

"Yeah, have a good Christmas Nemo," Hermione replied. "There's my parents over there," she added, pointing joyfully through one of the windows.

"Bye," Harry muttered as his friend disappeared into the crowd, heading for her parents. "C'mon Ardeo, let's go home," he added quietly to the dog at his side.

They flooed from a special fireplace on Diagon Alley for those children who could not be met by their parents, yet had to go home. Harry was glad that it was in a private room where no one could hear his destination, or Sirius leaving before him.

Then he was back at Potter Mansion, the home of his family for generations beyond count. They arrived in a small room off the entrance hall, which was there especially for guests who had to Floo in, rather than Aparate or fly.

"Master Harry and Mr. Black have returned!" one of the house elves had been in the room cleaning when they turned up.

"Hello there Kibby," Harry smiled at the elf. "Yes, we've come back."

"Kibby is very pleased, Master Harry. Kibby will go to the kitchens right away and make Master Harry and Mr. Black some food!" the elf disappeared before Harry could say anything about it.

"They live to serve," Sirius remarked with a sigh, and Harry knew that his godfather was thinking of Kreacher, who lived to serve Harry, and the portrait of Sirius's mother.

"At least they're happy," Harry remarked. He knew perfectly well that most wizards thought that house elves were nothing more than slaves, and punished them for just about anything, but he was no such person, and neither was Sirius.

"Unlike some," Sirius unknowingly echoed his godsons thoughts. "Want to go skating?"

"You bet!" Harry said immediately. He loved skating.

After several hours of zipping up and down halls, Harry and Sirius retired, very out of breath, to one of the living rooms, where there was a fire crackling in the hearth and steaming mugs of butterbeer and cupcakes waiting for them.

Both fell upon the food like ravenous wolves, devouring it in record time. A house elf appeared immediately with refills, which were welcomed with cheers from the hungry duo.

Night came fast, and dinner passed quickly. Harry was soon tucked up in his warm bed, with blankets piled on top of him and a fire burning in a hearth in his room to make sure that he was warm through the night.

He drifted to sleep with his face turned towards the portrait of his parents, with his mother singing quietly of Christmas and his father humming soft accompaniment.

He woke before dawn the next morning, but rather than going at jumping on his godfather, he padded through the halls of his home until he reached the portrait gallery.

Eventually he found the portraits of his parents, and went to sit on the floor at his father's feet, looking up at James and Lily, the parents he knew only through the photographs.

"Hello son," James smiled down at him. "How was your first term at Hogwarts?"

"_Great_," Harry enthused. "Don't worry dad, I played loads of pranks and still got really good marks."

James laughed, "Who did you prank?"

"You'll never guess, but Snape – Snivellus, I mean – is the potions master at Hogwarts now! I played some pranks on him," Harry replied.

"So, the git made it somewhere in life did he?" James mused.

Lily elbowed her husband, "He was the only reason we had any warning of Voldemort's attack," she reminded him.

"What do you mean?" Harry demanded. "From everything that I've heard, he hates you, and hates me because of you, I heard him saying that he was glad that Harry Potter hadn't come to school this year."

"Oh, he hates us, and you too," James said lazily, "But he's on Dumbledore's side, and even Sirius and I would never try to question his dedication to the light. He's a Death Eater, but he spies for Dumbledore …"

"He's a good man, somewhere under his mean coat," Lily added, "He used to help me with Potions, and I used to help him with Charms, back in first year, but then it got out that I was Muggleborn, and he stopped talking to me altogether – bad for his image, I wouldn't imagine."

"You always do stick up for him love," James remarked, "Though I've never seen why."

"You saved his life once," Lily pointed out. "And he _is_ a good man, whatever you might say. You've admitted that he's loyal to the light."

"There's plenty of people loyal to the light who aren't good men," James said, "Look at Barty Crouch, or Cornelius Fudge. Obsessed idiots, the both of them, however popular they might be."

Lily sighed and shook her head. "What's your favourite subject?" she asked her son.

"I don't know, I like most of them," Harry replied. "I think I'd like potions if Snape didn't teach it, but he favours the Slytherins something awful and takes points off Gryffindor at every given opportunity."

"Sounds like him," James muttered.

"I like Charms, a tiny man called Professor Flitwick teaches it," Harry added, and his mother beamed.

"What about Transfiguration? Does Minerva still teach that?" his father asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "She's the head of Gryffindor house."

"From what you've said, I take it you were sorted into Gryffindor?" Lily enquired.

"Of course he was," James replied, "Whoever heard of Potter who wasn't a Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, I'm in Gryffindor," Harry agreed with a small smile.

"Have you made any friends?" his mother wanted to know.

"Yes," Harry replied, "A Muggleborn know-it-all who beats me sometimes in class, and a boy who doesn't seem to be very good at magic, but who's nice anyway. Hermione's the girl, and Neville Longbottom is the boy."

"Longbottom, eh? So Alice and Frank's son survived – that's good to know. We knew his parents … and heard about the tragedy that befell them. Look out for Neville, Harry," James ordered his son.

"I will dad," Harry promised. "But I was hoping you could help me out a bit. My friends and I have discovered that there is something hidden in Hogwarts that is probably quite dangerous, and that someone – we thought it was Snape – was trying to steal it."

"This sounds interesting," James remarked.

"The only thing we've found out is that it involved Professor Dumbledore and a man named Nicholas Flamel," Harry added.

"Hmm," James said, "That's a name that sounds familiar."

"It should," Lily sighed. "Harry, I'm not going to make things easy on you, because it won't help you at all, you need to learn to solve these mysteries for yourself … but when you go back to school, look at the Alchemy section of the library. You aren't looking for anyone recent."

Harry blinked. "Alright …" he said slowly. "Why back at school?"

"Because you should get your friends into these things to. It will help the bonds of friendship form, and that's a very important thing to do," James answered for his wife. "You have to make them feel included with some things. Besides, you can't do everything for yourself, you know that. You need people to support you."

Harry nodded. "OK then. Thanks mum, dad."

"You're welcome Harry," replied his mother, smiling gently. "Come and talk again, won't you?"

"Of course," Harry replied.

"And send Padfoot over sometime soon," James added. "I'd like to see him before you two head back to Hogwarts."

"Padfoot will be staying here when I return in a weeks time," Harry replied quietly, "I no longer feel that I need him to be their with me … I have two friends now, so I'll have company."

"Good for you," Lily smiled. "It will be good to see more of Sirius, and to know that you're making friends at school."

Harry smiled, "I'll miss Sirius, but it will be fun to see how much mischief I can make on my own," he remarked.

James laughed heartily, "Atta boy Harry!"

"Don't encourage him," Lily chided her husband.

"As if a Potter boy _needed_ encouragement," James replied. "See you later son."

"Later dad," Harry agreed, "Bye mum," he turned and padded off down the hall, socked feet making hardly any noise on the tiled corridor.

"I wish we were still alive to watch him grow up," Lily murmured sadly.

"It was not to be," her husband replied, stepping from his portrait into hers and placing an arm around her shoulders. "But at least Sirius is here to watch over him."

"That's a good thing?" Lily joked.

"In moderation," James shrugged back.

Lily laughed quietly.

"Why didn't you just tell him Flamel was?" James enquired.

"Because he needs to learn to rely on his own mind," Lily replied, "I gave him enough of a hint to let him find what he needs to, but I'm not going to do the work for him."

"I always said that you should have been Ravenclaw," James told her fondly, "But I'm glad that you were in Gryffindor, and you belonged there as much as anywhere else."

Lily smiled. "I'm glad I was in Gryffindor too," she murmured, leaning into her husbands embrace.

"Where ya been?" Sirius asked Harry as the boy wandered into their dining place.

"Talking to mum and dad," he replied.

"What about?"

"Asking them about Nicholas Flamel."

"What did Lily have to say?"

"She said to look for stuff on alchemy, and to look in the past," Harry replied. "But she said that I should wait until I got back to school and do it with Neville and Hermione."

"Good idea, make them feel part of the group," Sirius agreed. "I'm sure I'll be able to convince Lily to tell me about it once your gone so that I don't have to wait until next holidays to discover who the guy was."

Harry laughed quietly. "I'm sure," he agreed.

"Skiing? Snowball war? Skating? What shall we do today?" Sirius asked.

"War," Harry replied without hesitation.

"Let's go!" Sirius's grey eyes shone with delight, and the pair of them raced outside, pausing for a moment to get used to the sun glinting off the brilliantly white snow.

When the sun began to sink low toward the horizon, the two combatants trudged wearily up the grounds to the entrance of the manor. Behind them the forts from behind which they had battled lay abandoned, but ready to returned to on the morrow.

Harry sighed happily, it was nice to be back to just him and Sirius, with Sirius unafraid to assume a human form and play with him. For the first time in a few weeks, Harry once again missed Dan.

The week passed, full of laughter and fun, with Harry and Sirius spending almost every waking moment together. Christmas day came and went, leaving a brief memory of stuffed bellies, laughter, decorations, games and presents.

All the presents had been bought either by mail order or on illegal trips to Hogsmeade, and all were (in the eyes of the recipients) fantastic.

Harry also received presents by owl from Hermione and Neville. Neville sent an assortment of candy and Hermione sent him a book on Herbology, which was Harry's worst subject and Neville's best.

Then it was time to leave the happy home and the friend who had stayed by Harry's side for all of his remembered life. Time to return to Hogwarts, where he would learn magic properly and make more friends than just Hermione and Neville.

In some respects he was looking forward to going back to Hogwarts, but it would be hard to leave Sirius, who had long been his 'security blanket' behind when he did.

Oh well, he had to get to know the place on his own, make his own friends and begin to make his own life, away from his family.

The last morning dawned, and Harry woke to find all of his bags carefully repacked for the journey back to Hogwarts.

Before they left Potter Mansion to Floo to London Sirius put Harry's illusion back on. Harry cursed himself for forgetting about it so quickly, and mentally promised that he would not do so in the next holidays.

Just before they flooed out, Sirius gathered Harry into his arms and hugged the small boy tightly. Harry hugged him strongly back. "Take care kiddo," Sirius instructed his godson. "Have a good term, and I'll be looking forward to the Easter break and seeing you again!"

Harry smiled, "Of course Sirius. I'll send you loads of mail, don't worry," he assured his godfather, knowing that he was reassuring himself just as much as his godfather.

Together, with Sirius in the form of Ardeo, they flooed to London, and caught a taxi over to Kings Cross station with all of Harry's bags in the boot. He had thoughtfully left his owl behind in Hogwarts, rather than cause a scene here in a Muggle taxi.

Sirius and Harry slipped onto platform nine and three quarters together, but the place was nearly deserted, as few people would be returning to Hogwarts until the holidays were properly over.

Harry was glad that he had brought his homework for the holidays (still undone) with him, as it looked that he was going to be one of only five students on the train, and the only first year. There was an older Gryffindor, but Harry wasn't sure whether he wanted to talk with the girl.

He settled himself in one of the back carriages, and once more bid Sirius goodbye, this time hugging his godfather around the neck. "I'll see you next holidays, and send owls if anything happens."

Sirius woofed in agreement, licked Harry's hand, then bounded off the train and out of the station. Harry knew that his godfather would get home just fine, and turned back to his homework calmly.

"You're Nemo Protectium, right?" A voice enquired from the doorway several minutes later. Harry looked up, a little peeved at being disturbed, and saw a young girl with hair as black as his own real hair, which hung in waves down to her hips with tendrils wandering over his shoulders and across her face, grey eyes and pale skin. She was very thin and willowy, and pretty too. She looked too short to be much older than he was.

"Yes," Harry replied unwillingly to her question.

"Hi, I'm Blaise," she said, padding into the room on silent feet.

Harry frowned slightly, "I've heard that name before," he muttered softly, trying to remember where.

"I'm a first year, in Slytherin," Blaise replied.

Harry nodded, now understanding. He'd seen her a few times in Potions classes, but she usually kept out of the way, much as he himself did.

"Have you done that assignment for Professor Snape?" he asked her politely, deciding that perhaps he shouldn't be mean to her, since she seemed nice.

"I've started," she sighed, "But I haven't got very far. I hate theory, especially for Potions."

"From what I remember, you're good at the practical," Harry remarked.

"Yeah, I can _do_ that stuff," she said, shrugging, "It's like instinct, you know? I know that I have to add this much of this thing to make the potion do this, but I don't know how to write it down and make it make sense!"

"I haven't gotten very far with it," Harry said, "Maybe we could do it together? It's certainly a way of passing the train ride."

Blaise smiled. "That would be fun," she said. "But I'd heard that you didn't like people much…"

"I don't usually," Harry replied, "But Hermione and Neville, from Gryffindor, decided that they wanted to be my friends, and it doesn't seem so bad."

Blaise laughed, "I don't have many friends either," she told him, "I don't like most of the Slytherins in my year. Malfoy seems to have taken control of all of them. I'd rather avoid them if possible."

Harry smiled faintly, "So you're making friends outside of your house?" he enquired.

"That's the basic idea, yeah," Blaise agreed.

"And with a Gryffindor no less. A bit bold, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," she replied. "Gryffindors are fine by me – I'm not one for stupid house rivalries that continue for ages on end, and no one evens remembers why anymore."

"Neither am I," Harry agreed. "It makes no sense to keep away from a group of people simply because they were sorted into one house and you're in another one."

"Slytherin _does_ have a bad reputation," Blaise pointed out.

"Yeah, because when Voldemort rose quite a few of them joined him. But so did Gryffindors and Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, so it's really no big deal," Harry agreed.

Blaise almost laughed, "True. And from my side of things, it makes no sense to ignore the brave people in our society, or the smart ones, simply because they aren't cunning. Cunning is all well and good, but when you make a plan, you need brave and intelligent people to carry it out."

Harry nodded in agreement, "And the brave people need the cunning and intelligent ones to make the plans for them to follow."

He got out several potions books and his assignment sheets, as well as several quills. "So, what have you got so far?"

It seemed that he had made another friend.

* * *

Well, I know it's been a hellova long time since I updated this story, and I apologise for that, but those of you who read In Every Darkness will know that I simply decided to concentrate on one story at a time. Now that In Every Darkness is complete, I will be focusing my energies on this story, and updating once a week on Monday's, and at other times if possible.

Thanks: Sword of Darkness, ReflectionsOfReality, goldengirl2, Schnuff, athenakitty, Starlight Dreams, kraeg001, jbfritz, kateydidnt, Wytil, Prongs4, Jeanne2, tortie, torifire126, Empress Sarah-sama, MikiBaby, Jaded Angel8, Songbreeze Swifteye, Cyblade silver, gaul1, magicgirl10, katepotter13, reems, Nerwen Elendil, INSANE, Wynjara, Nphipps, blip-dragon, Samara-Morgan-101, Nasser Himura, Musicstarlover, azntgr01, jack4, Preeto aka Raaven Potter Weasley, Preeto aka Raven Potter Weasley, RiDles girl, Lil Ole Me 9, Devonny Rose, Japonica, Demon's Soul of Baer, Demon's Soul of Baer, mrs. happy, uNoeWho, Kitty, Kanri Koneko (Kitty) Sage, Itty bitty evil kitty of doom, KandiG85, Narishma, aeslynn, wizardmon92, aaf, spectra2, golden wolf 73, Schnuff, I'm not the weakest link, The Angsty Gothic Angel, Brenna8, Geminidragon, grand admiral chelli, Maethoriell Uini Tawar, inu- hp fan, shina-schatten, Severus' Wife, shy3wolf, Mark turnlach, Arlo, Julie Lanister, Demon Donatello.


	16. I Don't Give Up

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Sixteen: "I Don't Give Up"

The train pulled up at Hogwarts long after dark had fallen, and way after Harry and Blaise had finished what remained of the holiday homework.

"So why are you coming back early?" Harry had asked his new friend.

"My mum and dad are going to America – they are the heads of their company and have some business there. We wanted to be together for Christmas, but I can't go on the trip with them," Blaise had replied. "What about you?"

"I wanted to spend some time with my friends, but I wanted to see my family too," Harry had replied. "So I went home for Christmas and decided to come back to school for the rest of the holidays."

"I, um, couldn't help but notice that your canine companion, Ardeo is no longer with you," Blaise had asked.

"Yeah, he's back with the family. He came with me so that there would be something familiar there for me, a friend I'd known my whole life. But now I have friends at Hogwarts, and I have settled in. I no longer need Ardeo's company."

"I see," Blaise had replied, and the conversation had continued on to other subjects.

"The others are going over there," Blaise remarked to Harry, pointing at the older students, none of whom spared a glance for the first years they'd spent a train ride with.

"I see them," Harry agreed. "I guess that we may as well follow them, huh?"

"Guess so," Blaise agreed, and the two of them made their way after the older students, until they found themselves facing carriages. Harry stopped short with a faint gasp, staring at the creatures that were harnessed to the carriages.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked in concern.

Harry didn't answer, staring at the vaguely horse-shaped creatures. They were skeletons, with sleek black fur growing straight off the bones …

"Nemo?"

Harry shook himself, "It's nothing," he said quickly, gazing for a moment longer at the creatures, before pulling himself into one of the carriages, and helping Blaise in after him.

"You sure? You looked like you'd seen a ghost."

"I've been seeing plenty of them for the last few months," Harry pointed out, "Up at the castle, remember?"

"Oops," Blaise muttered, "But really Nemo, I'm serious – if there's something wrong, I'm happy to listen."

"No, it's all good," Harry assured her.

Blaise nodded, and the two of them settled into a comfortable silence. It was nice to be with a friend who he had decided to make for himself, rather than one who had decided that they wanted to be friends with him.

But his thoughts kept wandering back to the creature attached to the carriage, which was, even as he sat, pulling them closer to Hogwarts. His mind wandered over various books that he had read, and then he remembered where he had seen a reference to it before.

The creatures must be Thestrals, he decided. This breed of winged horses were considered unlucky, as only those who had seen death could see them. They must draw the carriages up to the castle, he hadn't seen them before because he hadn't used the carriages before – he had heard the first years went across the lake anyway …

Harry had read a few separate accounts, as once, many years before, he had been fascinated with them, and almost wanted to see one – he knew better now.

One account, the one which he was more inclined to believe, said that the Thestrals were anything but unlucky, and merely had a bad reputation.

The creatures were extremely intelligent, and powerful. They needed little encouragement once they understood what was necessary, and seemed able to accomplish most tasks given to them with ease.

Of course, that account had been written by one who loved Thestrals, and had seen them since his parents had died when he was three. Harry knew that not everything could be counted as factual, and wondered if one day he himself would write some such thing.

"There's Hogwarts," Blaise murmured.

Harry looked out the carriage window and smiled slightly. Hogwarts rose, majestic on the hillside, lights glittering in most of the windows. It was beautiful. He was so glad that he could be a part of it all.

"It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen, or been inside," Blaise murmured, not realising that she was echoing Harry's thoughts. Harry wondered if all who saw Hogwarts had this feeling.

"Nemo!" Neville was waiting impatiently on the steps for him to arrive, and jumped to the carriage doors the moment he saw that Harry was inside.

"Hi Nev," Harry said, scrambling down the steps, then stopping to courteously help Blaise down as well.

"Who's she?" Neville asked.

"Blaise Zabini," Harry replied calmly. "She's in our year, Slytherin. She's really nice though."

Neville nodded uncertainly. He'd seen the way that most Gryffindors and Slytherins behaved with one another, and had been on the bad end of the stick where that was concerned on more than one occasion, and therefore he wasn't sure what to make of this.

"We met on the train," Harry added, as Blaise headed down into her common room. "She doesn't seem to be like other Slytherins – certainly not like Malfoy and his crew."

"Oh. Is she going to be hanging out with us?" Neville asked, a little nervously.

"Only if you and Hermione are comfortable with her being around," Harry replied, "Otherwise her and I will just hang out together at other times."

"OK. I think I'd like to get to know her a bit better before I decide either way," Neville said thoughtfully.

"Probably a good idea," Harry agreed, somehow glad that Neville wasn't just doing what Harry told him to – that wasn't what friends did.

He wondered what Hermione would do when she found out that he had befriended a Slytherin. Her reaction would probably be similar to Neville's. Harry hoped that she would come to accept Blaise in time also, because he had quickly realised that he liked the young Slytherin girl.

"Did you find out anything about Flammel?" Neville asked, helping Harry haul his trunk toward to the Gryffindor common room.

"Sort of," Harry replied. "I asked mum, and she said to look in the alchemy section of the library, but she didn't say anything more than that."

"Oh. Shall we go and look tonight then?" Neville asked.

"Why don't we wait for Hermione? She'd probably be able to give us a bit of a hand with searching out the book anyway," Harry suggested. "Mum said not to look in the extremely recent books."

"So your mum knows what we are looking for?" Neville asked, "Why couldn't she just tell us?"

"Because that's not what mum does," Harry sighed. "She's a big fan of letting me do things on my own, and only ever gives me hints to find what I'm looking for."

"Oh," Neville replied. "How was your trip home, by the way?"

"It was good," Harry replied. "Nice to see the family again, but it was hard to leave Ardeo behind this time. I've gotten used to him being around me all the time, I keep looking around to try and figure out where he's gone, since he isn't beside me any more."

"Well, it's not that long until the next holidays," Neville pointed out, no doubt trying to cheer Harry up.

"I guess," Harry agreed, "But still …"

"I don't really miss my family," Neville said, "They're all disappointed in me."

"Why?" Harry demanded.

"I guess they think that I'm a poor substitute for my father."

"He's at St. Mungo's with your mother, isn't he?" Harry asked.

"Yeah – how did you know?"

"My parents knew yours a little," Harry replied. "They told me what happened – I'm sorry about that."

"It's not like you can do anything about it, is it?" Neville asked. "For years they thought that I was a squib or something. My great uncle tried _everything_ to get me to use magic. He pushed off Black Pool Pier once … I nearly drowned."

"Well, you got somewhere didn't you?" Harry pointed out. "I've heard that sometimes magic abilities are gained with age. Maybe you get more powerful as you get older."

"I doubt it," Neville said gloomily.

"Cheer up – I'm sure that with a bit of training you'll be more than a substitute for your father," Harry said. "You'll make your family proud of you."

"I don't think I can," Neville stated sadly, "You've seen how I go in classes!"

"I can help you," Harry said reasonably, "And I'm sure Hermione will too! We'll get your marks up easily enough I'm sure!"

Neville shook his head. "I appreciate the offer Nemo, really I do, but you don't have to offer me help to try and make me feel better. I'll never be a great wizard, I just have to accept that."

"You do not. Once Hermione gets back from holidays we'll work on getting you to understand the things that you really don't get, I'm sure it won't take long," Harry was firm. "I'm not going to give up on you Neville. You can be great, you just need a little push in the right direction first."

"You mean it? Really?" Neville was starting to believe what Harry was saying. Starting to think that maybe he would be able to get better at magic.

"I don't give up on anyone Neville, not once I've decided they're worth the effort – and you _are_."

"Thank you!" Neville said. He'd never seen Nemo fail, so he would put his faith in the other boy without regrets.

"Thank me when I'm done with you," Harry replied. "Not everything has to wait until Hermione gets back."

The pair of them walked into the Gryffindor common room. The Weasley twins were over in a corner, and Ron Weasley, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were over in another. Ron and Dean were playing chess.

"Let's go up to the dormitory," Harry suggested, and, with a little bit of help from Neville, dragged his trunk up, and lay it at the base of his bed.

"OK, I'll need Hermione here to help me with magical things … but would you like to learn how to fight?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a black belt, forst dan in Tae-Kwon-Do," Harry replied, "I'm sure that I can teach you something. I'm not supposed to, not until I reach black belt anyway, but no matter, I'm sure I can teach you a bit."

"You mean, get fit? Be able to fight back when Malfoy turns up?" Neville asked.

"Yup, that's what I mean alright," Harry replied.

Neville's face, moments ago delighted, suddenly drooped. "I don't think I'd be able to do it very well," he said.

"Nonsense. Anyone can learn to do things well if they apply themselves," Harry said. "You'll be able to learn the basics from me, but I'd advise getting a proper teacher when you go back home, because I'm probably not the best that there is."

"Well, I'll try," Neville said doubtfully.

"That's all I'm asking you to do," Harry said. "Take off your shoes and socks," he added, "This stuff is easier if you have bare feet."

"OK," Neville quickly did as Harry suggested, and Harry did the same.

"Right, we'll start off with some stretches, because you need to be limber if you hope to get anywhere," Harry decided, and showed Neville some of the easier warm up stretches, which he made the other boy practice mercilessly until he had them right.

"Ow," Neville said, when Harry finally nodded his approval for the last stretch. "That _hurt_!"

"Good!" Harry said cheerfully, "It was supposed to – that way you know that you're doing the stretch right."

"Do we have to do any more?" Neville asked wearily.

Harry smiled slightly, "Not tonight, but we're going for a run in the morning," he replied.

"A run? Where?"

"Outside," Harry replied.

"Are you crazy? It's freezing out there! Snowing," Neville said.

"We'll be warm enough if we keep moving," Harry replied wickedly.

"Fine, we'll go running in the morning," Neville gave up, knowing that he'd end up doing what Harry wanted him to anyway. He wanted to learn how to fight, and he wasn't going to do anything to make Harry stop wanting to teach him.

"That's the spirit!" Harry grinned. "I'd advise that you do those stretches once more before you go to bed, otherwise you'll be really stiff come morning."

Neville nodded and headed downstairs to the warmth of the common room.

Harry smiled slightly and dug out quill and parchment to write a quick note to Sirius, saying that he had arrived at Hogwarts, and that he had sort of made friends with Blaise Zabini on the train back to Hogwarts, and intended to spend more time with her to see if she was as nice as she had appeared to be.

He also added in a sort of after note that he had started teaching Neville how to fight properly, and his intentions for tutoring Neville in classes to get him on par with the rest of the year.

He figured that Sirius would approve, since the man had nothing but praise for Neville's parents, and had often wondered why Neville wasn't as powerful as they had been.

Once that was done, Harry headed down to the Owlery, and noticed that Neville was sitting away from everyone else in the common room, not sure how to fit in with anyone other than Harry and Hermione.

"I'll be back soon, just have a letter to send home," Harry told Neville, who nodded.

"I'll see you then," he replied.

Harry walked down into the darkened castle. It was after dinner already, so there wasn't really anyone around. He hoped that he didn't bump into Filch, since the man didn't seem to like Harry all that much.

"A bit late to be roaming the halls isn't it, Mr. Protectium?" a soothing, male voice asked.

Harry jumped around to face Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. "Headmaster!" he said in surprise. "I'm just taking a letter to the Owlery to send home," he added, waving the parchment absently.

"I'm sure you wont mind if I accompany you, Mr. Protectium?"

"Of course not – it's your school," Harry pointed out. He didn't mind the company of the aging professor. He knew that Sirius fairly well worshipped the headmaster most of the time, but his godfather could also see Dumbledore's faults.

"Ah, but it is your time, and space," Dumbledore replied. "You have been progressing well, I hear."

"I like to think so, Sir," Harry replied.

"I also notice that you've made some new friends – always a good thing to do, as good friends are not always easy to find."

Harry glanced up at the man for a moment. "I guess you're right. I've been alone for awhile; it was a bit of a shock, going from not wanting friends to having two."

"Still, I assume it was a fairly welcome shock?"

"Yes, I guess it was," Harry agreed.

"How was your Christmas?"

"Oh, it was alright," Harry replied. "Good to see my family again, if only for a little while."

"Family are quite important, aren't they. I really should try to find out where my brother is … I haven't heard from him in nearly ten years now," Dumbledore remarked.

"Don't you and your brother get on?" Harry asked.

"Oh, we get on just fine … but Aberforth does have a habit of disappearing for a decade or so every now and then," Dumbledore replied.

Sirius had told Harry that Aberforth Dumbledore was even odder than his brother, though many of the wizarding world would doubt that this was possible.

They reached the Owlery. "Well Nemo, it's been a pleasure to speak with you, I hope we'll do so again soon," Dumbledore said, then turned and walked off in the direction of his office without a glance back at his student.

Harry wondered if perhaps Dumbledore might have guessed who he was, but he shook his head slightly. No, no one could have guessed yet, could they?

Then there was the comforting thought, Dumbledore would come to Harry and test out his suspicions before he went to anyone else. Hopefully this would take some time. Harry didn't doubt that Dumbledore would guess who he was sooner or later, but he was hoping that it would be later.

With a slight shake of his head, to try and dislodge the worries that suddenly plagued him, Harry gave his note to his owl and headed back to the tower, this time managing to avoid meeting up with anyone.

* * *

I know that Blaise is now officially a guy, but I like him/her as a girl, so she is in this fic.

Well, that's that for this chapter. The next one will show the Mirror of Erised, I'm hoping (this one was supposed to, but I got distracted). I was hoping for another two reviews before I updated, to take this story up to one thousand reviews, but I guess that will have to happen this time round.

Thanks:

TopQuark, Wytil, Kraeg001, Nefertiri Riddel, jbfritz, Angels Fury, athenakitty, Severus' Wife, Devonny Rose, FantasyCheck, bigstu, Starlight Dreams, Songbreeze Swifteye, cantfindagoodname, Xyverz, solar1, Nphipps, Cyblade Silver, JeanieBeanie33, Vicky, Magical Me!, cyress, Surarrin, torifire126, Empress Sarah-sama, Zaxxon, mart, Shea Loner, PreetoakaRaven Potter Weasley, Wynjara, Power of the Winds, Silver-Entrantess-Elf, Samhain Vampiress, K, Mulledmead, Samara-Morgan-101, RaVeN-1991, legolasfan91, flames of shadow, kittyelah, spectra2, Eohthen lord of Rohan, IceSugarHigh, irishchic799, gaul1, jack4, irishchic799, irishchic799, irishchic799, irishchic799,

irishchic799, irishchic799, Motif, azntgr01, I Have Sirius Problems, Musicstarlover, Lyz, Jeanne2, Romulan Empress, aaf, Nelka Taomi.

WolfMoon


	17. The Mirror of Erised

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Seventeen: The Mirror of Erised

Harry insisted Neville make the promised run, which the other boy was _not_ happy about, and they continued to train quite a lot over the next couple of days.

Harry, however, was growing ever more possessed by the idea that he would like to see how he went _without_ his godfather to guide his steps when it came to mischief making.

He had the Marauder's Map, and he had his fathers invisibility cloak – he didn't think that he would be able to do all that badly. Each night it was becoming a challenge to just go to bed and fall asleep, every time he got the urge to go and explore the castle alone.

On the third last day of the Christmas holidays, he gave in. He didn't know where he wanted to go, he just wanted to do _something_. With the invisibility cloak swirling around his shoulders and the Marauders Map tucked into his pocket, Harry ventured forth.

He wandered down through the castle, then, by chance, came across Filch and Snape – he wasn't using the Map yet, because he wanted to see how far he could get without it.

"He's out again tonight," Filch was saying. "Forth time this week I've noticed him poking his nose where it don't belong."

"Hopefully one of these days soon something will bite it off," Snape muttered darkly. "Have you tried to scare him off?"

"Why would he be listening to a simple care taker like me? No one ever listens to Filch," the man snarled.

Harry wondered who they were talking about, there were plenty of students who crossed Filch on a regular basis – but no one went out of their way to do so … and no one really wanted to see Filch mad. In a bad mood, Filch could easily try to expel you – rumour had it that once he had succeeded to get a student expelled for putting mud in the hallways.

"Keep an eye on him, won't you?" Snape said silkily, "If he does anything for which we can catch him, let me know immediately and I will go to the Headmaster about it."

"Yes Professor Snape," Filch muttered. "You might be wanting to have a look for him yourself – never know where he might turn up. Mostly round the third floor, of course but …"

"Of course," Snape said. "I will keep an eye out."

Harry decided that he had better make himself scarce. Who knew where Snape might go? He didn't want to get caught by the Potions Master. Snape had had a grudge against him since the first day when Harry hadn't been all too polite in his introduction.

He hurried down the hall, then stopped for a moment. He could hear sounds of destruction from up ahead – it seemed that Peeves was up to his usual tricks. Harry could hear Filch coming to investigate and swore quietly.

He looked quickly along the hallway he was on, and noted one door that went off to the right. With a sigh of relief, he pushed it open, raced inside and shut the door again quickly.

He heard Filch come stomping along the corridor and start to yell at Peeves, and quickly realised that he was going to be there for a while – Filch sounded pretty pissed off.

Harry sighed, resigning himself to a time spent hidden in the room. Well, may as well put time to good use and examine the room – there might be something hidden in it.

Turning around, Harry immediately noted the room was an old, disused classroom from a time when Hogwarts had had more students. Then he noticed that there was something that he didn't think had been here when the classroom had been abandoned.

At the opposite end of the room was a looming mirror, as high as the ceiling with an ornate gold frame and stood on two clawed feet. Around the fame, Harry realised as he came closer, words were etched.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_. Harry's quick mind flashed through various coding games that he and Sirius had played in the past, and soon came up with what the caption really read. _I show not your face but your hearts desire_.

"So," Harry murmured allowed, "You're the famous Mirror of Erised. I wonder what my hearts desire is?"

He drew the invisibility cloak closer around himself and stepped in front of the mirror. For a moment he saw nothing but himself. He knew that this was not right, because only the most content man on the planet would be able to see only himself, so Harry played around a bit, stepping this way and that.

Eventually the scene in the mirror changed. Harry smiled in quiet delight. Now reflected in the surface of the mirror was Potter Mansion. Sirius was there, smiling widely, and so were Harry's parents, alive and well. There were many other people around them, all talking and laughing silently, milling around.

He knew that in this vision, Sirius was a free man, and he, Harry, was happy and had many friends. Harry smiled contentedly. It was a nice desire, he thought pleasantly to himself. His desire was not to see himself changed, but to see an end to the secrecy that had shrouded his life, and the vague misery that came from the knowledge that his parents were dead.

He had to wonder, however, what the Mirror was doing here – it was supposed to be a very important and valuable object after all. Perhaps Dumbledore had some plan for it, and if he did, Harry wondered what that might be.

Shaking his head slightly, Harry stepped back from the Mirror. He had no wish to remain enthralled in the vision for the rest of his (most likely short) life. He considered himself well off, since he had not come upon the Mirror with no idea what it might be. He knew that what it presented was purely fantasy, but it was nice to know what his strongest desire was.

Harry took out of the Marauders Map and opened it up, looking quickly around his general area. Snape was heading towards the third floor corridor, and Filch was headed for the Headmasters office. Peeves was bouncing off upstairs, no doubt to cause more mayhem while Filch gave a report on him to the Headmaster.

Harry smiled. It was safe to move on, and soon enough Hermione would be back from her Christmas holidays so they could resume their search for the elusive Nicholas Flamel.

Quickly and quietly Harry made his way back up to the Gryffindor tower. He knew that everyone else was in bed, asleep, so at least he would not be caught when he got back.

Harry reached the portrait and scrambled into the common room, heading quickly upstairs, the Invisibility Cloak and Marauders Map hidden in his clothes.

"Nemo? Where were you?" Neville asked, sitting up as Harry came into the dormitory.

"I went downstairs to the toilet," Harry replied, "then stayed up to study for a little bit."

"Why did you want to study at a time like this?" Neville enquired sleepily. "You sound like Hermione."

"Spare me," Harry smiled. "I wondered if I had remembered a fact right and I wanted to check on it – I had."

"Oh, OK," Neville replied, and turned over, falling asleep.

Harry smiled slightly. He would not have let the matter lie at that, and eventually he might tell Neville about the Invisibility Cloak, but for the moment that was his, and his alone. Eventually he would also train Neville to notice when people were lying – it would be a useful skill for the other boy to have.

Undressing, Harry slipped into bed and was asleep within moments.

The next day after breakfast, Harry wondered outside to stand on the shore of the lake. A little while later Blaise came out to join him. Harry knew that Neville was up in the common room, finishing up an essay for Potions which would be due in next term.

"How are you?" he asked Blaise as she joined him.

"I'm alright," she said cautiously.

"Your housemates haven't given you a hard time for being seen with a Gryffindor have they?" Harry asked.

"No, they haven't. There aren't enough of them here to have noticed yet," Blaise replied.

There was a momentary silence which Harry was happy to leave as it was, enjoying the company of his new friend as he looked out over the lake.

"So why do you hang out with me?" Blaise blurted out suddenly, "Your house will hardly like it any more than mine will! At least mine will think that I'm befriending you to get into your confidences."

"I don't think anyone has the right to tell me who I can be friends with and who I can't," Harry said icily. "I have no intention of paying any attention to the words of those who don't know what they are talking about. You seem a nice person, and at this point in time I am more than happy to be friends with you."

"Oh," Blaise said.

Harry smiled briefly at her. "Hermione and Neville taught me that while having friends means that I may get hurt, avoiding having friends for that reason is hurt in the making. I like having people around me, and I think that you are someone I would like to get to know more. If you aren't averse to the idea, of course."

"Sometimes you seem a lot older than your years," Blaise said quietly. "This is one of them – I would love to be your friend."

"Excellent!" Harry replied.

"Do you think Neville and Hermione will mind?"

"I don't really care," Harry replied. "Neville said that he's willing to try and get to know you, and I obviously don't know about Hermione, but you're going to my friend, not their's, so there opinion doesn't really matter that much does it?"

"I thought that they were your friends though…"

"They are," Harry replied, "But that doesn't mean that I can't have other friends who aren't friends with them."

"I guess," Blaise said. "Look, I have to go and do some homework for Professor McGonagall, but maybe we could meet in the library after lessons on the first day of school?"

"Yeah, sure," Harry replied. "I'll see you then … you don't mind if Neville and Hermione come along do you?"

"Of course not," Blaise said quickly. Too quickly, Harry thought – she did mind after all. She was probably afraid that they would reject her, and that Harry would too, to keep pace with his friends. Well, she didn't need to worry there. He had made a friend and he intended to stick by her!

He and Blaise returned to the castle and then went their separate ways. Blaise to the dungeons and Harry up to Gryffindor tower.

"I heard you were talking with a _Slytherin_, Protectium," Ron Weasley was in Harry's face the moment he walked through the door.

"So I was – what's it to you?" Harry asked.

"You're in _Gryffindor_, in case you haven't noticed," Ron replied, as Seamus and Dean came up behind him. Surreptitiously, Neville set down his quill and scurried over to stand behind Harry, half shielded by him, half trying to make a stand.

"I had, actually, considering the fact that I am in the Gryffindor tower right now," Harry said irritably.

"Gryffindors and Slytherins don't make friends," Ron told him. "We hate each other!"

"_You_ may hate as many Slytherins as you like," Harry informed the other boy, "_I_ think Blaise is a nice girl, and that she will be a good friend. I don't try to run your life for you, though god knows you need someone to do it, and I'd thank you if you didn't try to run mine!"

Ron blustered a bit, then turned and stalked upstairs to the dormitories, with Seamus and Dean hurrying along behind him, glancing over their shoulders at Harry every now and then.

When they had gone upstairs, Fred and George wandered over to where Harry was standing, still shaking quietly in fury. "Sorry about our little brother," George said.

"He can be quite dense at times," Fred added.

"He can't really help it," George remarked sadly.

"You were right, you know," Fred grinned wickedly.

"He does need someone to run his life for him," George laughed.

"He doesn't seem to do a very good job of it himself, anyway!" both said together.

Harry laughed, his anger retreating. "You don't think I'm being disloyal, befriending a Slytherin?" he asked hesitantly.

"Hell no!" Fred replied.

"We don't much like most of the Slytherins ourselves," George admitted.

"But we know that there are some nice ones in the bunch," Fred said.

"And it's really no one's business who your friends are!" again, they said the last line together.

"Why can't you just talk one at a time?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Because it's fun,"

"To confuse people like this,"

"And it's ever so easy!" Fred and George said, following their usual pattern.

Neville sighed and shook his head, retreating back to his homework.

"Odd fellow," George said, looking after him.

"Seems nice enough though," Fred agreed.

"Oh he is," Harry said, "You saw him trying to be supportive – he'll get there soon enough. He's a great guy."

Fred and George nodded, then guided Harry into a corner, looking around carefully to make sure that no one had noticed them. As there were only a few people in the common room, it wasn't difficult to find a spot where they wouldn't be over heard.

"How was your trip home?" George asked, "We noticed you came back without Ardeo."

"Yeah – he came along because I didn't really intend to make any friends here," Harry said, "But it seems that I wasn't given much of a choice in that, was I?"

"Seems not," Fred remarked. "But anyway, as you know, we're pretty impressed with your work as a prankster … we were wondering if you had any more prank ideas that we could help you with?"

"And if you don't, I'm sure we can think some whoppers up between us!" George agreed.

Harry smiled slightly, "Oh, I'm sure I can think of something," he said lazily.

* * *

Note: In some languages, the word for male and female are quite different, and JK said to just translate Blaise as a guy.

Well, that's that chapter. Next chapter is Nicholas Flamel, and Quidditch practice! Hopefully a little longer than this one, but I posted this ahead of time, so I think that slightly less writing is alright … will try and update more frequently, but can't say anything.

Thanks: Mrs.Sniffy, Alaranth-88, blank, Surarrin, Nerwen Elendil, IceSurgarHigh, athenakitty, Xyverz, Zaxxon, Motif, Unknown, Kraeg001, Nphipps, JeanieBeanie33, Fire tempest, Nefertiri Riddle, torifire126, Musicstarlover, Cyblade Silver, bigstu, cyress,Wytil, azntgr01, AgnesSophia, FreedomStar, cantfindagoodname, cantfindagoodname, Empress Sarah-sama, grand admiral chelli, Julieroo2, gaul1, Jeanne2, wicky, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, Tombadgerlock, Wynjara, BloodRedSword, jbfritz, icedrake1, I Have Sirius Problems, theauthorthatwrites2,Samara-Morgan-101, prinzess-pippi, Nasser Himura, Mark Turnlach, ethan5, Bukama, PreetoakaRavenPotterWeasley, Callme001kat, Romulan Empress, rankokun.

**Nerwen Elendi**: plenty of people write to J.K. but she doesn't personally write back any more – it says so on her website: www.jkrowling.com.

WolfMoon__


	18. Nicholas Flamel

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Eighteen: Nicholas Flamel

The last days of the Christmas holidays passed enjoyably. Harry and Ron even managed a rare moment of peace when the twins called for a snowball war with everyone from the Gryffindor tower.

Harry and Neville stuck together, and Harry used the exercise both as an excuse to have a whole lot of fun, as well as to show Neville how to avoid objects and how to land without hurting yourself too badly when you had to dive to avoid them.

He didn't see much of Blaise, who had retreated to the Slytherin common room because she wasn't comfortable with joining Harry when he was around other Gryffindors, even Neville.

Then the holidays ended and Hermione turned up again. She was very jealous that Harry had been teaching Neville something new, and to placate her, Harry ended up offering to teach her how to fight as well.

"I've also met a really nice Slytherin girl from our year," Harry told her, "I've made friends with her, sort of … she's going to meet me in the library this afternoon after classes, do you and Neville want to come?"

"A Slytherin?" Hermione repeated slowly.

"Yeah," Harry said, "You two really taught me that I need to have friends in my life again … and Blaise is nice."

"I've seen her in Potions classes," Hermione said, "She's pretty quiet, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"Well, the teachers are always telling us that we should make friends outside of our houses as well as in them, and I think it's a really good idea to try and make friends with a Slytherin … I mean, the rivalry has been going on for ages, and I don't think anyone even remembers why any more," Hermione said.

Harry smiled slightly, well at least Hermione was willing to try. Maybe he wouldn't have to have two groups of friends after all – that was probably a fairly good thing.

"Did you find anything about Nicholas Flamel?" Hermione asked, lowering her voice. They were in the Gryffindor common room, it was getting late at night, the day before classes.

"Mum wouldn't tell me much – she's a big fan of making me figure things out majority on my own. But she gave us a hint – she said try Alchemy, and that we need to look at the past."

"Oh my god!" Hermione exclaimed softly, "I'm so stupid! Wait here!" she took off up the stairs to the girls dormitory. Neville half rose as if to follow her.

"I wouldn't try it," Harry advised, "The girls stairs don't let males up there. Remember, this castle was made one thousand years ago – there were quite different feelings about relationships."

Neville nodded and sat back down. Harry knew this rule very well, Sirius had often jokingly complained about having to do all kinds of things to manage to get into the girls dormitory. At least, Harry _hoped_ it was jokingly.

A moment later Hermione came racing back downstairs, a huge book clutched to her chest. "What's that?" Neville asked.

"I got it out ages ago for some light reading – it has a very different view of history to the one that Professor Binns is teaching us," Hermione replied.

"Light reading? Hermione, I read a lot, but even I wouldn't call that _light_," Harry told his friend with a smile. Hermione gave him a rather stern glare, then starting flicking through the pages as fast as she could.

"I knew I'd read his name somewhere, but I couldn't remember where – it was in the contents page of this book!" she told them excitedly as she worked.

"So who is he?" Neville asked, somewhat impatient after having spent months trying to find out who this person was.

Hermione reached a point in the book and smiled triumphantly. "Here it is!" she whispered at them, "Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the _Philosopher's Stone_!"

Neville looked confused and asked, "What?" But Harry's eyes widened in amazement. He didn't now much about Alchemy, but he had heard of the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

"The Philosopher's Stone will turn any metal into pure gold, and produce the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal," he said before Hermione could.

"Here, read this," Hermione said, pushing the book towards them.

_ The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the legendary Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_ There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and fifty sixth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty eight)._

"Wow," Neville remarked, "How cool would it be to have a Philosopher's Stone?"

"In some ways I guess it would," Harry remarked, "But in others it wouldn't be. Look at what Flamel has to do in order to protect his? He has it hidden behind some gigantic three-headed dog in one of the safest places on the Earth, and there are still people trying to find it!"

Hermione and Neville both nodded at that. "I guess you're right," Neville agreed, "But it would be nice to have as much money as you liked, and to live forever."

"Yeah," Harry said quietly, "That could be nice."

"So we know what the dog is guarding, now we just have to find out if there is anything else guarding the stone, and how far Snape's got in trying to steal it," Harry said.

"Only?" Hermione asked. "That sounds like a lot to me – and don't forget, you have to prepare for a Quidditch match and all of us have to prepare for the upcoming tests."

"Hermione, there are still two terms between us and the tests," Harry told her gently. "We don't need that long."

"Yes we do," Hermione said firmly, "We have to make sure that we know _all_ of the spells that the Professors have taught us, _and_ all of the theory behind them!"

Neville groaned, "I'm going to need more than two terms to get that done."

"We'll help you Nev," Harry told him firmly, "I've said that already."

"I know you will, Nemo, and you too Hermione, but I still don't think it will help that much."

"Nev, you know how I told you about some people gaining magical powers as they grow older? If you learn all that you can now, especially the theory, but the time you're fourteen or fifteen you'll be on par with the rest of us. You'll be able to get through the tests if you have the theory done right, that way you won't lose too many marks on the practical bit to fail," Harry said practically.

"I've heard of that condition," Hermione said slowly, nodding her head, "Nemo's right, as long as you learn the theory now, in a couple of years you'll be able to do the practical."

Neville smiled, "Well, I hope you two are right," he said.

"Of course we are," Harry replied. "I'll see if I can find the book that describes the condition next holidays – I know I have it somewhere."

Neville nodded.

"I'd like to read it too," Hermione put in, "I only read a small passage about it in a book of magical abilities."

Harry laughed, "Right guys, let's head down to breakfast – we can talk about all of this later, but classes will be starting soon, and I want to eat before they do."

Neville and Hermione nodded, "I'll just take this back upstairs," Hermione said, lifting the book they had been reading from before and hurrying up the stairs to the girls dormitory.

Harry and Neville waited until she returned, then they all headed down to breakfast.

"Blaise, hi," Harry greeted his newest friend as he walked into the library after classes that day. Neville and Hermione were hanging around in the background, looking as though they felt more than a little out of place.

Blaise didn't look all that much better. "Hi Nemo," she said.

"This is Neville, and this is Hermione, Neville, Hermione, this is Blaise," Harry ran through the introductions.

"Hi," the three of them muttered to each other, then it lapsed into an unhealthy silence.

"So, shall we sit down?" Harry asked, feeling a little uncomfortable, but too well trained in martial arts to fidget like his friends were doing.

"I guess," the general mutter went around, and the small group headed to one of the back tables.

"So, Blaise, how was your day?" Harry asked, trying to get something of a conversation going.

"Alright," Blaise shrugged, "Flitwick gave us a load of homework, which was really unfair. He took two points from Malfoy for protesting about it."

"So Malfoy isn't every teachers pet?" Neville asked, somewhat surprised. The only class that the Gryffindors had with the Slytherins was Potions.

"Of course not," Blaise replied, "He's always getting in trouble for talking in any class but Potions. He has something to say about _everything_, and most of the teachers don't appreciate it."

Neville and Hermione both grinned. They hated Malfoy – he had made both of their lives hell before they had become friends with 'Nemo', and still did whenever he thought he could get away with it.

Suddenly the conversation took off like wild fire. Blaise did not like Malfoy either, and had tales to tell of times he had gotten into trouble from teachers for just about every day of school so far.

Harry smiled – it looked like Blaise was a success with his other friends, which was a good thing. He too was interested in Blaise's stories, for Malfoy was no friend of his.

After awhile, Harry regretfully took his leave of his friends. He had Quidditch training, and it would be starting any time soon. "That's OK, if Blaise doesn't mind, we'll stay and do _our_ Charms homework with her," Hermione replied, smiling at the Slytherin girl.

Blaise beamed back, "I don't mind at all!" she replied.

Harry nodded and hurried away as his friends took out their books and quills and prepared to start work. A part of him wished to remain, but the longing for the freedom of flying was a stronger part, and he did not wish to disappoint Wood in any case.

"Nemo, there you are!" Oliver Wood called out as Harry entered the Pitch. "Hurry up and get changed, we really need to get in training for the next match!"

Harry nodded and ran to do as he was bid.

A moment later he was back outside, swinging onto his Nimbus 2000 and joining the team hovering in the air. "I'll let the Snitch out Nemo!" Wood called from down below him, the only one still on the ground.

Harry gestured his OK, then raced up into the air, climbing as fast as he could, not looking down at where the Snitch was. He wanted no advantage on the Snitch.

He did a few swift loop-the-loops, then settled into the search for the only ball he had to pay any attention to. He wove between the other players, danced across pitch to avoid the Bludgers, his keen eyes searching always for a glint of gold.

He saw the ball and tumbled from the sky like a thunderbolt, catching the ball neatly, and hearing his team cheer happily in triumph. Harry released the Snitch and raced a Bludger up the pitch, before going in search of the other ball again. He loved flying more than almost anything else.

Practice ended and Harry drifted back up to the castle, showered and got ready to give Neville and Hermione a lesson in Tae-Kwon-Do.

The next two weeks passed without much incident. Harry kept an ear out for anything to do with the Philosopher's Stone, but heard nothing more. He also continued with Quidditch training, and training his friends. Blaise decided that she also wanted to learn Tae-Kwon-Do, which made Harry's job even harder still.

But he found that he didn't mind the added work load. He enjoyed teaching his new friends his art, and they seemed to enjoy learning it, though progress was slow with Neville and Hermione, who weren't well co-ordinated yet.

Blaise was a little better, but not tremendously, so they all moved at relatively the same pace. Classes went on, getting just a little bit harder, and Harry began to have some difficulty in keeping up with class work at times, since he was doing so much else. He decided it was a good thing that he was ahead.

Life was settling down, he realised, and he was happy that it was settling down, since he was enjoying himself as he had not for a long time.

Sirius owled him every second or third day to check up with him and make sure everything was going well, and send notes from Lily and James also, which Harry looked forward to, as well as tips on studying, which he paid strictest attention to.

Then, one Quidditch practice, Harry heard that Snape would be refereeing the next Quidditch match, and it looked like life was going to turn upside down on him again.

* * *

Well, there's another chapter, way less than a week since the last one I put out – I'm getting better at this! I have the next chapter almost written, despite the fact that I only finished this chapter today, and I guess you can expect to read it tomorrow afternoon, or the day after.

Thanks to:

Katepotter13, Romulan Empress, kraeg001, Xyverz, TopQuark, Jeanne2, Nerwen Elendil, grand admiral chelli, cantfindagoodname, Empress Sarah-sama, gaul1, athenakitty, azntgr01, kittyelah, Nphipps, I Have Sirius Problems, Nasser Himura, Angels of Fae, Surarrin, Musicstarlover, RP Weasley, Motif, Lord of Darkness13, Wytil, Cyblade Silver, cyress, jbfritz, Samara-Morgan-101, Curious, torifire126, IceSugarHigh, JeanieBeanie33, dark-chan/fight, Wynjara, PuckStar, vicky123, Shadowface.

**Cantfindagoodname**: Dumbledore wasn't watching the Mirror until the third night, or at least, that's when he confronted Harry about it … I don't think he would have come to see if anyone turned up on the first night. If Harry felt the need to return to the Mirror, he might find Dumbledore waiting for him, but he isn't going to … at this stage anyway.

WolfMoon


	19. Trouble

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Nineteen: Trouble

"_Snape's_ refereeing your match?" Neville whispered when Harry told his two Gryffindor friends what had happened. "I didn't even know he flew! You're in trouble now, aren't you?"

Harry nodded sadly, "I am," he replied, "Snape hates me for what I said to him at the Welcome feast, and because I'm in Gryffindor." He didn't add that he knew Snape had tried to kill him at the last match. An owl bearing a message from him was flying to Potter Mansion as he spoke, conveying the news to Sirius. Sirius would have a plan.   
"You could not play, couldn't you?" Hermione asked, looking at him worriedly. Her mind didn't believe that Snape would deliberately hurt Harry, but her heart knew that it was possible. Snape was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone, he might have gotten wind of their attempts to find out how much he knew.

"No, I can't," Harry replied, "I'm the only decent Seeker Gryffindor has, without me they don't stand a chance at success and you know it."

Neville nodded. He didn't fly himself, but like most Wizarding children, he knew more than enough about Quidditch to know that Harry needed to play.

"You'll do fine Nemo. I'm sure he won't hurt you," Hermione said.

'I wouldn't be so sure,' Harry thought to himself, but did not speak aloud to Hermione – he knew that it would only worry her. The only reason that he had even told his friends was so that they wouldn't think he was keeping secrets from them when they went to the match on Saturday.

Blaise, when she heard about it, was also sympathetic, but she told Harry that Snape would not be able hurt Harry in the middle of a Quidditch match. She knew full well the less than desirable relationship between Harry and Snape.

Sirius's reply came back on Wednesday, and told Harry that he would be coming to watch the match, but would keep hidden from sight, only there to make sure Snape behaved himself.

More than the responses of any of his friends, it was Sirius's that made Harry stop worrying altogether. His godfather wouldn't let anything happen to him. Sirius would keep him safe, as he had in the last match.

And so it was that Harry approached the match more calmly than he had thought he would. On the night before the match, Harry went to bed with the Quidditch team and Neville when Wood ordered it, but he did not sleep. Sirius had said he would come, but he had not come to Harry yet, and the boy would not be able to sleep well until he did.

It was nearing midnight when a feather-soft touch roused Harry from a semi-doze. He woke to see his godfather standing quietly over him, a gentle smile on his face.

"Sirius, you came after all," Harry murmured softly.

"Of course I did," Sirius replied. "I wouldn't leave you to face that terror alone. Sleep now, Harry, and I'll see you after the match. I won't hang around for long though."

Harry bowed his head, "I know you won't," he replied. "I'll point out Blaise for you, if I see her."

"You do that," Sirius replied, and shifted form. The dog that took his place was comfortingly black and huge, and hid quickly under the bed. Harry was asleep in seconds, now that he knew his godfather had come after all.

He was roused by Neville at seven thirty. Everyone was up and moving, excited by the days entertainment. Harry dragged himself out of bed and dressed, then followed Neville down to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for breakfast, not getting the chance to make sure that Sirius was still there, and last nights meeting had not been a dream.

"Nemo come on, we need to get down to the Pitch," Wood said after Harry had eaten what little food he thought he could keep down. "So we can get changed and maybe have a warm-up flight before we start the game."

Harry nodded quickly and stood up, not at all regretful to leave what remained of his pitiful breakfast behind. If all went well, he would end up celebrating half the night away in the Gryffindor tower, as he hadn't wanted to do the last time. This time, however, he was in a far more social mood, and therefore happy to party with the rest of his house, and for a little while forget his troubles.

He and the team changed and listened as the crowd began to fill the stadium. Harry was feeling far more nervous this game than he had last, mostly because Snape would be present again.

Fred looked around the door and out at the crowd, "Looks like the entire school is here," he remarked. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen Dumbledore at a match that wasn't the Quidditch Final."

"Dumbledore is here?" Harry asked, hopeful.

"Sure is," George agreed, checking his twins statement. "And you're right Fred, I've never seen him at a game that wasn't the Final!"

"Albus – what are you doing here?" Minerva asked as the Headmaster took his seat beside her. The Headmasters seat was always kept in the box, out of respect, but it had been a long time since a Headmaster, or Mistress, of the school had come to every game.

"After what you've told me of Mr. Protectium's flying, I found I couldn't bare to miss out on the opportunity to see him in action this time," Dumbledore replied. "Quite extraordinary, I hear."

In the shadows of the teachers box, Sirius Black pulled his godsons invisibility cloak tighter around himself and gripped his wand tightly. He didn't think that Snape would misbehave while Dumbledore was present, but with Snivellus, one never knew for certain… he remained where he was, ready to do anything to defend his godson, even if it meant exposing himself.

He watched with a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as the Gryffindor Quidditch team made its way onto the field. There was Harry, in his disguise as Nemo, didn't seem at all out of place, with sleek black hair hanging down to his shoulders, and, though Sirius could not see them, blue eyes dancing with anticipation.

Sirius's eyes, however, turned quickly from his godson to watch the Referee, not noticing the Hufflepuff team as they joined the Gryffindors on the pitch.

Grey eyes focused coldly on Severus Snape, ready to move at a hint of unsportsmanlike behaviour. If Snape gave him in the slightest reason, the other man would be dead.

"I must admit, I'm a little surprised that Severus volunteered to referee the match," Minerva remarked to Dumbledore, "And I'm not at all sure I'm in favour of you allowing him to do so, Albus. You know what he's like when it comes to Gryffindor students."

"Oh, I know what he's like," Dumbledore agreed. "He wished to referee the first match, but as that was Gryffindor against Slytherin, I had to decline … he was, however, quite insistent that he be allowed to referee this match, and I could not disappoint a second time."

"Still …"

"I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done now, Minerva. I will bring up your arguments should he ever wish to referee a match again," Dumbledore said firmly. "Done is done, and if he behaves himself …"

"As if that is likely to happen," McGonagall muttered, but Dumbledore ignored the comment.

So, Sirius was not the only one with concerns about Snape reffing the match. And he had wanted to oversee the first match also. Well, he had done a good job of trying to kill Harry without being close to him …

Dumbledore should have _never_ allowed Snape into his councils, Sirius had never trusted the other man, and he wasn't at all sure that he was trustworthy.

Well, that much was out of his control at present, and didn't really matter any more. He was hardly likely to be listened to if he went to Dumbledore about it now, he would more likely be killed, or at the very least, arrested, on the spot if he dared.

Snape blew a whistle and the two teams were off. Sirius's eyes sharpened on Snape as the man rose into the air. There was no way this was going to be a fair match.

He was right. When one of the Hufflepuff Chasers fouled, Snape didn't call them up, but when Fred Weasley batted a Bludger too close to him, Snape blew the whistle to give a penalty to Hufflepuff.

_Catch the Snitch Harry, you need to catch it_, Sirius thought, wishing that his godson could hear him, but knowing he could not. Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all.

Suddenly Sirius spotted the Snitch. He wished again that he could yell out and alert his godson to it, but he knew that he couldn't. Then he saw his godson diving, and knew that Harry had seen it too.

Harry shot straight down past Snape, who looked more than a little startled, and was about to raise the whistle to give Hufflepuff another penalty when Harry pulled out of his dive, Snitch clasped in his fist, which he had thrust into the air, a triumphant expression his face.

Sirius smiled and slipped quickly from the teachers box, heading down to the bottom of the stands and then out to wait for his godson near the broom shed. He knew that Harry would come eventually.

After awhile, his godson did, managing to escape the ecstatic Gryffindor crowds to put away his broom. "I borrowed your cloak, hope you don't mind," Sirius murmured as Harry was about to leave the shed and go back to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry gave a slight start, then stepped into the shadows near the Forbidden Forest. "Sirius!" he exclaimed quietly, "How are you?"

"I'm just fine kiddo," Sirius replied, "You played really well out there."

Harry gave a slight blush, "Thanks," he muttered quietly. "You were watching?"

"Of course – spent more time watching Snivellus to make sure the bastard wasn't up to anything, but I can always spare time to watch you fly," Sirius replied.

"Speaking of Snivellus," Harry muttered and pointed. Severus Snape had just come out of the Hogwarts doors and was stalking down towards them, or the forest.

"Either he knows you're here or he has some business in the forest, whatever that might be," Harry whispered to Sirius, keeping his voice low even though Snape was still a long way away.

"Get under the cloak, no sense in taking chances," Sirius replied, and Harry quickly joined his godfather beneath the folds of the invisibility cloak.

They needn't have worried, as Snape walked straight passed them without sparing the slightest glance in any direction but straight ahead. He entered the Forbidden Forest without even a pause.

"I'm following him," Sirius said immediately.

"Sirius, are you sure that's wise?" Harry asked.

"I won't get caught. I want to know what the slimy little git is up to," Sirius replied. "Go to Hagrids hut, he'll probably want to escort you up to the Gryffindor tower since its after dark. Say you just dropped by to have a quick chat about the game."

"I'll leave the cloak here then," Harry replied. "If you want to talk to me when you get back from following Snape, take my broom from the shed and fly up to the dormitory, OK?"

"Gotcha," Sirius changed form and a huge black dog slithered into the forest without another sound. Harry watched him go for a minute, then let the cloak slide from his shoulders into a pool on the ground, and walked the short distance to Hagrids' hut.

"Nemo!" Hagrid exclaimed in quiet greeting. "How are ye? Watched the game t'day – ye were fantastic!"

"Thanks Hagrid," Harry replied, coming into the room. "I'm good, by the way."

"Thought ye might be. Neet catch earlier," Hagrid sounded very enthusiastic.

"Again, thank you. How have you been?"

"Oh, getting through, getting through," Hagrid replied. "Now, why are you out here? It's dark, an' late …"

"I was putting my broom away and thought I may as well come and say hi," Harry replied.

"Well, I'd best accompany ye back up t'the castle then," Hagrid said, heaving himself to his feet, "There's somemat not quite right going on, and I don' like it at all."

Harry nodded, glad for the company. He did not fear the dark, and he didn't think he ever would, but in the middle of the magical world, it was easy to fear those things that might walk hidden in nights shroud. Also, Sirius had thought it would be the best idea if he was accompanied back up to the school.

"So anyway," Hagrid said as he grabbed his jacket and got ready to walk Harry up to the castle, "How's things with Neville and Hermione?"

"Oh, it's going great," Harry replied, "We've all made friends with a girl in our year from Slytherin, her name is Blaise."

"Really? Who's initiative was that?" Hagrid asked, interested.

"Mine," Harry confessed, looking away from the giant-like man. "I've realised that I can't keep pushing people away, and I _want_ to make friends again."

"Good fer you," Hagrid replied, his long legged strides eating up the ground at such a rate that Harry was forced to jog slightly to keep up with him.

The night was chilly, but clear now. Harry wondered where Sirius was, and if he was OK. If there was something wrong, then Sirius could easily be in the thick of it, out in the forest, alone.

He shivered, then shook himself. Sirius was a grown wizard and could take perfectly good care of himself. He and Hagrid reached the front doors of the school, and Hagrid pushed them open easily.

The pair of them entered the Entrance Hall. "Thanks for walking me up here Hagrid," Harry smiled.

"I'll be keepin' you company a little ways further," Hagrid replied, "Bin wanting to have a little chat with the Headmaster about the state o' the forest … somemats not right, like I told yeh."

Harry shivered again, but nodded, and walked onwards with Hagrid. Eventually they parted and Harry went his own way, heading up towards the Gryffindor Common room, hoping against hope that Sirius was alright still, and beginning to wish that he had argued against his godfather going into the forest.

He gave the Fat Lady the password and walked into a scene of merrymaking that now went completely against his mood. "The man has arrived!" George cried, spotting Harry. He and Fred immediately came over to help Harry through the Portrait hole.

"The party may begin," his twin agreed happily. They guided Harry to a place of honour by a table full of food, and Hermione and Neville came to join him.

"Great catch," Neville grinned at him, "We checked when we came by the Hourglasses, and Gryffindors in the lead now! All thanks to you winning so quickly!"

Everyone else seemed to have something to say, and Harry tried to put his worries about his godfather aside and simply enjoy the attention … but he found it hard.

He still only picked at his food, as he had at breakfast, and wished that he could escape and try to find Sirius. At seven thirty he started yawning, and almost immediately the twins were back beside him.

"Can't you see he's tired?" George demanded.

"Can't have our Seeker getting tired … Why don't you head up to bed, Nemo?"

Harry nodded, feeling both sleepy, since he hadn't slept properly until midnight the night before, and anxious, because he was worried about Sirius.

"We'll just come up," George said decisively, "Make sure nothing happens to you!"

He and his twin steered Harry clear of the rest of the Gryffindor students, who were all protesting about having their hero taken away. "We wanted to talk to you anyway," Fred added as they reached the boys dormitories. "Apart from saying great match. We were hoping to discuss a prank …"

"How about we talk tomorrow?" Harry suggested. "I'm a bit tired now …"

"Where?" Fred asked.

"Same place as last time?" George suggested.

"Sounds good to me. See you there around noon?"

"See you!" the twins nodded and hurried back downstairs, obviously happy to have scored an appointment with their new prank player. Harry wondered how the Weasley twins could be so different from their older brother Percy, who _lived_ for rules, and from their younger brother Ron, who was far to judgmental for his own good.

He went over to his bed and lay down on his back, staring up at the canopy above his bed, waiting for Sirius. "Waiting for someone?" a soft, delightfully familiar voice.

"Sirius!" Harry hissed in delight, "You're OK!"

"Of course I am!" Sirius replied, "Listen, I followed Snivellus for you," he continued even softer than before. "In the depths of the forest he met up with Quirrel … they spoke. Snivellus definitely wants the Stone, and from what I gathered, Quirrel knows the last part of the puzzle."

Harry ached an eyebrow, "Well, it's worse than I had thought," he said, "Quirrell's a coward and a weak-minded fool, from what little I've seen of him. We'll be dead before you can say Quidditch."

"He will last longer than that, I'm sure," Sirius replied. "A weak-minded fool he might be, and Snivellus is a strong-minded idiot, but they are within Hogwarts, and no one here will be able to steal the stone for so long as Dumbledore is here. Snivellus will make his move just before he knows Dumbledore _won't_ be here, otherwise he runs the risk of Quirrel going to Dumbledore and confessing what he's done."

Harry nodded, "I can see your point," he agreed. "So we just have to make sure Dumbledore stays in Hogwarts and the Stone is safe?"

"For the time being," Sirius replied. "Snivellus will undoubtable grow bored of waiting eventually … and when he does, he will be very unpredictable."

"Do you think that is likely to happen soon?" Harry asked, now worried.

"No, he has other things to worry about until the end of the year grows close. Once that happens, he'll move so that he has the stone to leave Hogwarts easily," Sirius replied. "I'll try and come back then, and keep you company, keep an eye on him."

"Thanks Sirius."

"You're welcome. Now, I'd best be heading back home to the Mansion – I'll see you in the holidays, if not before."

Harry nodded and bid farewell to his godfather, then he lay down on his bed without bothering to undress, he was asleep in seconds.

* * *

Well, there's the longest chapter we've seen in awhile. I hope you liked it! OK everyone, I need an idea for a prank to be played on Malfoy after the leg-locker incident (yes, I'm going to have that!) I need the prank before I can post the next chapter, because I need to write it in. It needs to be good, people – think you can do it? Leave suggestions in a review, thank you!

Thanks:

Surarrin, katepotter13, grand admiral chelli, kraeg001, torifire126, Nefertiri Riddle, athenakitty, Nasser Himura, Xyverz, Musicstarlover, Ferdia, NateP, Laen, Shadowface, xyvortex, IceSugarHigh, Puckstar, I Have Sirius Problems, Empress Sarah-sama, cantfindagoodname, Misthea, kittyelah, Nerwen Elendil, Jeanne2, azntgr01, JeanieBeanie33, gaul1, Cyblade Silver, Samara-Morgan-101, Flamming Wolf, cyress, Leeanna-Maria-Malfoy, Siri Kat.

**Xyvortex**: I know that it's nice to make Draco a good guy, but Harry needs some enemies in the student body, and Draco is unfortunately perfectly positioned to play that enemy. He won't be turning good in this fic, I'm sorry to say – you will probably notice that in the rest of my stories I have made him good, or at least better.

WolfMoon


	20. A Pranksters Revenge

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twenty: A Prankster's Revenge

The next day, Harry was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione. They were waiting for Neville to turn up – he'd been given detention with Snape for destroying his third cauldron that year.

It was only midafternoon, but since it was a Saturday pretty much everyone was in the Gryffindor tower. Some were studying, others were playing games – Ron was playing Chess against Seamus and winning.

Harry and Hermione were sitting together, reading their History of Magic books, since the class itself was too boring to pay much attention to.

Suddenly the portrait hole banged open and Neville tumbled through. For a moment, everyone thought that it was just another example of his usual clumsiness, then they realised that his legs seemed to be glued together.

Most of the common room burst into laughter, but Hermione and Harry did not, instead hurrying over to help him. Hermione reversed the jinx and Harry helped the other boy to his feet.

"What happened?" Harry demanded. His was voice cold as ice and eyes steely.

"Malfoy," Neville whimpered, thinking that Harry's anger might be directed at him for failing to protect himself. "He said he'd been looking for someone to practice on, he found me just before I got out of the dungeons."

"Let's go," Harry said, striding toward the portrait hole, voice still colder than any in the room had heard it since the days before he had made friends with Neville and Hermione.

"Where? Nemo, what are you doing?" Hermione demanded anxiously.

"Finding Malfoy – he has to learn that he can't expect to mess with my friends and _not_ suffer the consequences," Harry replied. "Neville, Hermione, come on."

"No, Nemo! You'll get in trouble instead of Malfoy if you just go and attack him," Hermione said. "Stay here, please! If you must do something, go to Professor McGonagall and let her know about it!"

Harry paused, glancing back at his two friends. "I suppose if I hurt him he'll only wait until I'm gone to pick on you again, won't he Nev? Very well, let's go to Professor McGonagall and tell her what happened."

To all appearances, although 'Nemo' was still looking quite angry, he had calmed down enough not to do anything rash. Only the Weasley Twins caught the significant look that Harry directed at them before leaving the common room with Neville and Hermione.

They smiled at each other and went up to their own dormitories. When Harry returned from his meeting with the Head of House, they would have some planning to do!

"Nemo, won't this do the same thing? Malfoy will think that I ran to Professor McGonagall and then he'll pick on me even more," Neville said as he and Hermione struggled to keep up with Harry's furious pace.

"I don't care, the little bastard isn't going to get away with it," Harry snarled. "He made a fool of me once before, sending me to the Trophy Room, and one of these days soon I'll show him what happens when you mess with me."

"But…"

"Don't worry Neville, I won't let him hurt you. The only reason I'm doing things this way is that I don't want to get in trouble for something Malfoy started. I won't leave you alone when he can get at you," Harry replied. "I protect my friends, when they need it."

Neville nodded quietly. He knew that there was no sense arguing with Nemo when the other boy was like this.

Harry knocked furiously on Professor McGonagall's office door and waited impatiently for it to open. McGonagall pulled open the door, ready to rouse on the student who knocked so forcefully on her door.

When she saw Nemo Protectium, looking frighteningly angry – not explosive anger, but cold anger – standing before a cowering Neville Longbottom and an anxious Hermione Granger, she decided to let him get away with it this once … so long as his reason turned out to be a good one. "Mr. Protectium, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger, come in," she said. The three first year students strode into the office and took seats in front of her desk. "What brings you here?"

"An unprovoked attack on my friend Neville brings me here," Harry said icily.

"Attack?" McGonagall sat forward slightly – attacks were serious. "Mr. Longbottom looks fine to me."

"Draco Malfoy, from Slytherin, put a leg-locker curse on him, probably about half an hour to an hour ago. Neville managed to hope up to the Gryffindor tower, where Hermione reversed the jinx," Harry said, sounding almost professional as he spoke.

"Mr. Longbottom, where were you when Mr. Malfoy attacked you?" McGonagall enquired.

"Just about to come out from the dungeons," Neville replied, "I had a detention with Professor Snape."

"And you say the attack was unprovoked?" McGonagall said.

"Malfoy said that he'd been looking for someone to practice on," Neville said, looking down. "He also said that I didn't really deserve to be a Gryffindor, because I'm not very brave at all and that's supposed to be what Gryffindors are."

"Malfoy doesn't like Neville," Hermione said, putting an arm around the other boys shoulders, "He's always putting him down because Neville doesn't do as well in classes as some of the other students…"

"Well, that sort of behaviour is unacceptable in a Hogwarts student," McGonagall said decisively, "Don't worry children; you can leave this in my hands. I'll have words with Professor Snape regarding the behaviour of his student and suggest a suitable punishment. Meanwhile, five points to Gryffindor for not trying to take care of this yourselves. I will make sure that you are not bothered by Malfoy again."

Harry nodded and rose, leading his friends from the room with an almost regal appearance.

McGonagall found herself wondering, not for the first time, what family Nemo had really come from. His behaviour was similar to that she might have expected from Harry Potter … but that couldn't be the case, could it?

She shook her head and rose to go and speak with her co-worker, Severus Snape – never a task she enjoyed.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Harry told Neville calmly. "Now Malfoy will get in trouble for what he did to you, which is only right."

"And you'll leave him alone?" Hermione asked nervously, she didn't think that Nemo's anger had receded in any way.

"I won't _hurt_ him," Harry replied, smiling in slight reassurance. No, he had no intention of _hurting_ Draco Malfoy … only _humiliating_ him a little. But for that, he would need some help from Fred and George.

"Good," Hermione said, "I don't want you to get in trouble – Gryffindor may be in the lead, point wise, but that doesn't mean we can afford to be stupid."

Harry sighed slightly. Rules again – why did Hermione have to be so obsessed with them? He didn't see what so fabulous about obeying the rules … most of them were just plain stupid.

"Right," he replied quietly. "Let's head back to the common room. I want to talk to Fred and George for a minute."

"Why?" Hermione asked, sounding vaguely interested. "Aren't they the two who are always getting in trouble for being stupid? Ron Weasley's older brothers?"

"They aren't anything like Ron," Harry replied calmly, "And yeah, they like pranks – they're on the Quidditch team."

"Oh," Hermione said, and didn't push the issue. She thought because Harry had mentioned the Quidditch team last that Fred and George wanted to talk to him about Quidditch. Well, that was the point of saying that, Harry thought to himself. It was not deception, as such, but perhaps it was fairly close. Well, he couldn't help that.

When they re-entered the Gryffindor common room, Harry headed straight up to the third year boys dormitory. Fred and George were in third year this year.

"Nemo," Fred whispered in greeting, "How are you mate?"

"I'm alright – ready to plan some mischief?" Harry asked dangerously.

"Would we be right in thinking that you had Draco Malfoy in mind as a victim?"

"I wouldn't call him a 'victim' as such … perhaps … 'test subject' would be better," Harry replied. "He certainly wasn't the victim this afternoon."

"We saw that," George remarked, "Nasty piece of work, picking on someone who can't really pick back."

"He made one mistake though," Harry smiled.

"He picked on someone with a _friend_ who could pick back," Fred nodded. "So, let's get started."

"You don't like him much either?" Harry asked.

"The name Malfoy has long been synonymous with dark," George replied. "Our dad's been trying to get Malfoy's father for ages – there's loads of dark stuff hidden in their family mansion, but no one knows _where_ it's hidden."

Harry nodded, "Your father works for the Ministry doesn't he?"

"Yeah," Fred replied, "He works with Muggles."

"I can't imagine that Lucius Malfoy would like him much then," Harry remarked. "Nothing wrong with Muggles, but some people just can't see that."

"We know," Fred and George agreed. "Our dad's obsessed with them, so we've been taught to love them from him. He's always bringing Muggle stuff home and mispronouncing the names and all sorts of things."

Harry smiled at that. "Well then, let's get started shall we?"

Next day most of the school knew that Draco Malfoy had been put on a weeks detention cleaning the trophy room for attacking a Gryffindor student. It soon got out that the student had been Neville Longbottom, and Ron Weasley revealed to a Hufflepuff boy that Nemo Protectium had gone storming out of the common room with his friends after Neville had turned up in the common room, jinxed.

It didn't take long for this story to get all around the school, but Harry didn't mind too much. The Slytherins for the most part hated him, but that was nothing knew. Some of the older one's had made menacing moves towards him, but Fred and George had put a stop to that, turning up at odd moments to chat with Harry or just walk with him, and thus force the Slytherins to rethink their plans to attack him.

"How are things going?" Harry asked one afternoon almost a week later.

"Getting there," Fred replied smiling.

"We'll be ready soon – are you?" George asked.

"Always and forever," Harry replied. "Malfoy needs to learn his place."

"And detention isn't going to teach it to him," Fred agreed. "So we'll take over and let him know what really happens when you mess with a Gryffindor."

Harry nodded coldly. "Exactly."

"Man, I'd hate to be on your bad side," George said, grinning at Harry.

"For that matter, I'd hate to be our bad side," Fred added. "It wouldn't be good for our continued good health."

"Not at all!" they said together.

"I'll see you on Sunday then," Harry said.

"Yes, you will. And we'll see you," George agreed. "See you then!" they turned and continued on their way.

Harry smiled. Draco Malfoy would regret messing with his friends, and through them, him.

Shaking his head slightly, Harry headed for the library to meet up with Neville, Hermione and Blaise to finish off their homework. Slytherin house knew of their young members friendship with the Gryffindors, but Blaise had told them that it was simply a ploy to get deeper into the confidences of the Gryffindors, so that she could betray them at just the right moment.

"Nemo, how are you?" Blaise asked with a smile as Harry walked into the library and joined them at a table near the back.

"Oh, I'm alright," Harry shrugged. "Met up with the Twins a moment ago."

"What have they done now?" Hermione asked in exasperation.

"I don't know," Harry replied, "They didn't mention anything that they'd done." That was true, after all. They had only mentioned what they were _going_ to do, with Harry's help.

"Well I find it hard to believe that they aren't up to anything," Hermione remarked. "Any ideas for books to look at for that History of Magic assignment?"

"Yeah, we might try …" Harry let himself forget the upcoming prank on Malfoy and concentrate on doing his homework with his friends. The prank would come soon enough, after all.

"Psst, Nemo!" Fred and George caught Harry's attention as he headed down to the greenhouses for Herbology on Monday.

"Hi guys," Harry joined them quickly, glancing around to make sure that they weren't being overheard, or watched. "How's it going?"

"Our bit's done, you just need to find a way to plant _this_ on Malfoy," Fred replied, holding up a tiny jar of dust. "Think you can do it?"

Harry gave him a look.

"Of course he can, don't worry," George grinned. "Well Nemo, see you at dinner!"

Harry nodded, slipped the jar into his pocket and set out for the greenhouses again. He'd let Neville and Hermione go ahead of him on purpose so that he could meet the Twins without any interference from his friends.

After Herbology, Harry and his two friends wondered back up to the castle to the library to study some more, much to Hermione's delight and the two boys disgust – they knew that they had to, but that didn't mean that they actually liked it.

On his way to the Gryffindor table for dinner that night, Harry unplugged the small vial that the Weasley Twins had given him. With a silent command to his magic, Harry went the powder contained within towards his rival in the Slytherin house.

Though no one saw it, Harry knew that the powder settled on Malfoy's food. With a half smile of satisfaction, Harry continued on his way to the Gryffindor table, winking to Fred and George on the way past. They winked back, but did not interrupt their conversation with Lee Jordan.

The prank was not huge, and it was not harmful, at least, not particularly so. The powder was an activation charm, or sorts. Whenever Malfoy walked through a door, for the next week, a bucket of water would be dumped on him. Nothing huge, this time. If Malfoy tried to hurt any one of Harry's friends again, the prank would be bigger, more humiliating. And if he kept hurting Harry's friends, eventually they might start getting painful.

Harry was satisfied. He had gotten Malfoy back for what he had done to Neville, and now he could go on with studying for the exams with the guilt that he had left harm to his friends go unanswered on his shoulders.

* * *

Thank you everyone for your prank suggestions, I ended up choosing a suggestion from one of my friends – next time Malfoy is a jerk I'll have something bigger than this, but the dumping water on people's head is quite classic, and Malfoy is going to have a very wet week this week …

Thanks to:

Cyblade Silver, BeastialSunStormDragon, Nerwen Elendil, gaul1, Avemtilla, Shadowface, crystalheart91, IceSugarHigh, kraeg001, Samara-Morgan-101, Lyz, Songbreeze Swifteye, athenakitty, azntgr01, NateP, Musicstarlover, Surarrin, MyGildedCage, Wytil, Agnus Dei, torifire126, Jeanne2, Ebony River, RP Weasley, RP Weasley, grand admiral chelli, Nefertiri Riddle, cyress, cantfindagoodname, katepotter13, JeanieBeanie33, Gryffindor Ghost, Sirius's gurl, darkangelgep.

WolfMoon


	21. Dragon

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twenty One: Dragon

The weeks after the prank passed, and life went on. For a time, Draco Malfoy spent all of his time searching for the one that had pranked him, nothing but revenge on his mind, but Harry and the Twins had covered their tracks carefully, and he got nowhere with his search.

Potions class that week was possibly the only bearable one that year, because Draco Malfoy walked in the door and was soaked, so Snape had to dry him with a spell, and then when the lesson ended Malfoy was soaked _again_ on the way out.

Every time Harry, Hermione, Neville or Blaise passed the third floor corridor they put their ears up against the door and checked to make sure that Fluffy was still alive and growling within.

Professor Quirrel went around, growing paler as the days went on. Several times Harry thought about telling the man that he was safe, but he always decided against it. Though he supported the mans valiant effort to stand up to Snape, Harry knew that he could not like Professor Quirrel. Something about the teacher just put him off.

Sirius's owls began to slow down as time progressed, and Hermione started revising for the upcoming exams, despite the fact that they were, as yet, ten weeks away. She was making Neville in particular study with her, while she and Harry attempted to cram the other boys head with as much theory as he could hold, and also practice some of the spells that they might need for the exams.

Hermione was coming close to panicking, and she had reduced Neville to a similar state by moaning about the dire consequences of failure. Harry wished he could get her to stop doing that, as it got on his nerves and didn't improve Neville's outlook on his schooling at all.

Blaise, like Harry, was fairly calm in the face of the upcoming exams. After all, she was a pure-blooded Slytherin. Slytherin's usually went against showing much in the way of emotion, and as a pureblood, she had learnt a lot of magic even before she came to Hogwarts, and she knew that the reality of the tests would be somewhat disappointing after the effort that Hermione made everyone put in to prepare for them.

Harry was in a similar state, he knew that he had most of the theory down pad, and if he was failing the practical work, he could always give it a jolt with his rather impressive abilities with Wandless magic.

"Nemo, do you know the twelve uses of Dragons blood?" Hermione enquired one afternoon in the library. Harry blinked, then recited them in a breath. Neville groaned enviously and Blaise smirked as she read through _Hogwarts: A History_, to study for the History of Magic exam.

One afternoon, Harry got totally bored of Hermione's continuous muttering in the Gryffindor common room (which seemed to be putting off most of the rest of the Gryffindor students as well), and suggested a trip to Hagrid's hut.

"Nemo! We have to study!" Hermione said frantically. "The exams are only nine weeks away!"

"Hermione – we need time to allow the information we've learned in the last half an hour to filter through to our brains and stick there," Harry said gently, "If we take a break and go down to Hagrid's, then we can do that and have a bit of fun visiting an old friend at the same time," Harry replied.

Hermione thought about this. "Oh, alright. I guess we can take a little while off," she said tiredly, and shut the book she was reading currently. Neville did the same to his with a sigh of relief, and smiled gratefully at Harry, who smiled back. "Let's go then!" Hermione said.

"Oh, so now we have to get the trip over and done with as fast as possible?" Neville muttered to Harry as they followed Hermione down to the castle grounds. Harry chuckled quietly, then smoothed his expression to one of innocence as Hermione looked back to see what they were laughing about.

Soon enough the three of them spilled onto Hogwarts' grounds and headed down to the house of their friend Hagrid. "Why has he got all of the curtains drawn?" Hermione wondered allowed, "It's not that cold any more."

"Well, why don't we ask him," Harry suggested, raising his hand to knock. It took a moment for the door to open, at it sounded like a few things were being shifted around inside.

After a moment, the door opened a crack and Hagrid peered out at them. "Oh, it's just you three," he muttered. "What're ye doing down 'ere?"

"We came to visit to take a break from studying," Harry replied.

"Oh, alright, s'pose you wanna cum in then?" Hagrid sounded a little nervous.

"If you aren't busy," Harry replied.

"Nah, s'ok," Hagrid said, opening the door a little more so that the three friends could squeeze inside. It was boiling inside, far warmer than was comfortable.

"Why is it so hot in here?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, eh … is it?" Hagrid asked. "Well, no particular reason … was feeling a little bit cold. Would ye like some tea?"

"Tea would be great, I hope you aren't getting sick, Hagrid," Hermione replied. "Maybe you should go to see Madam Pomfrey?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," Hagrid replied. "Winter hasn't gone yet, after all…"

Harry remained unconvinced. There was something that Hagrid wasn't telling them. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was definitely something. Looking over at Hagrid's bed, Harry noted that there were a lot of books there. "Been doing some reading, Hagrid?" Harry asked, nodding to them.

"Wha? Oh, yeah, bin doing a fair bit," Hagrid agreed.

"What are you reading about?" Harry enquired, appearing no more than politely curious, but he was sure that these books had something to do with Hagrid's mysterious behaviour.

"Oh, um, dragons actually," Hagrid replied, "Always loved dragons."

"I think you mentioned that once," Harry remarked. "You wanted one as a pet, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Hagrid replied, a dreamy expression creeping over his face. "Wanted one since I was a kid…"

"Dragons are dangerous," Hermione said, sounding scandalised. "You certainly couldn't hope to have one if you were still living _here_! This is a wooden house for Gods sake Hagrid!"

Harry caught Hagrid's sudden glance towards the fire, and looked into the flames. Half hidden by the burning logs and flame, there was a large, oval form sheltered in the heart of the fire.

"What's that, Hagrid?" Harry asked, though he already knew.

"That? Oh, that it's um … nothing, it's nothing at all," Hagrid stammered, stepping in front of the fire as if to try and hide the fact that there could possibly be anything there.

"It's a dragons egg, isn't it?" Harry demanded, not in the least bit fooled by Hagrid's attempt at hiding the fire from view.

Hagrid's shoulders slumped, "Yeah," he muttered, then suddenly perked up. "Bin doing a bit o reading," he said, "Found out what I've got here is a Norwegian Ridgeback – their rare, them."

"Where did you get the egg from, Hagrid – you know that it's illegal to have one in your position," Hermione demanded.

"Won it," Hagrid said, "From a Greek chappie I met in the pub."

"Hagrid, dragons are _dangerous_, they need a lot of care and they breath fire – you live in a _wooden_ house!" Hermione said, sounding a little frantic. "Besides, you're in a school, what if it got lose and attacked the students?"

"I won' let it do that," Hagrid told them earnestly. "I know I won't be able to keep it forever, but just for a little while … get to know it, and then set it free somewhere."

"That somewhere had better not be the Forbidden Forest," Neville muttered quietly, as he watched the fire with a look of intense fear on his face.

"Well, I hadn't thought so far ahead yet," Hagrid admitted. "But I'll found it someplace safe to live."

Harry sighed, and was echoed by Hermione. It was clear that they would never manage to convince that raising a dragon was not only stupid but also suicidal.

Harry glanced at his two friends, then made a gesture as if to say, "drop it". He had other concerns on his mind, and he didn't think that a dragon would escape notice long enough to do severe damage …

"Hagrid, we know who Nicholas Flamel is, and we know what Fluffy is guarding," he told the man before him, who froze.

"Wha?" Hagrid grunted in surprise.

"You heard what I said, Hagrid. We know that the … Stone … is in Hogwarts, and we know that Fluffy is guarding it … but it's not only Fluffy, is it? What else is there?"

"Now that is definitely none of yer business to be prying into," Hagrid said. "I dunno how yeh found out about the Stone, an' I shoulda never mentioned Flamel … but let me tell you, that stone is well protected – that's what it's doing 'ere at Hogwarts. Safest place on the Earth, Hogwarts."

Hermione cast a warning glance at Harry and took over. "Well, we didn't really want to know what else was guarding the Stone," she said, "But we _were_ wondering who else Professor Dumbledore could _possibly_ trust enough to help him guard the stone …"

Hagrid swelled with importance, and Harry smiled. It was obvious that Hagrid would not betray Dumbledore's trust to the extent of actually telling the three first year students what was being guarded.

"Well, first there's Fluffy, and he's mine … who else was in on it? Lemme see … Professor McGonagall did somemat, so did Professor Flitwick, an' Professor Sprout, then there was Professor Quirrell … an' I'm missin' someone … That's right – Professor Snape."

"That's all?" Harry asked.

"Nah wait, Dumbledore did somewhat himself …" Hagrid replied. Suddenly part of the fire collapsed, and Hagrid rushed over to make sure that his egg was alright.

"Yeh won't mention it, will yeh?" Hagrid asked.

"No," Harry replied, not sure whether Hagrid meant the dragon, or what they had just been told.

"Thanks … could get me in a bit o' trouble," Hagrid smiled, then went back to rebuilding the fire around the dragon egg.

Shaking his head, Harry shooed his friends out the door and they headed up to the castle.

"Great," Harry muttered as they walked. "Just what we needed – more things to worry about."

"We don't have to worry about the dragon, or the stone, at the moment," Hermione told him firmly. "Right now we just need to concentrate on the exams…"

"Hermione, if that dragon grows up and gets loose, we'll definitely have to worry about," Harry said grimly. "The Stone I guess we don't need to worry about, yet, but I don't think that Dumbledore would like it stolen…"

"We could tell one of the teachers," Hermione said.

"Then it might get back to Snape," Harry replied, "Which could put us in danger because he might try to stop us."

They reached the castle entrance hall, and Harry gestured for his friends to stop talking – it wouldn't do for them to be overheard by the wrong people, after all.

Up in the Gryffindor tower, the three friends found themselves a little nook in which to settle. Everyone in the tower knew that these three preferred to be alone whenever possible, and were generally happy to leave them to it.

"I can't believe he's trying to raise a _dragon!_" Neville muttered, shivering slightly. "Just the thought of them gives me the creeps! They were outlawed as pets ages ago, because the death toll for owners, and the amount of Muggles spotting them, was getting too high for the Ministry to let it go on any more."

"I wonder when we'll study dragon laws in History of Magic," Hermione remarked quietly, "It sounds really fascinating … I'll have to read up on them in my spare time … after the exams, I guess."

"I think dragons come in third year," Harry remarked. "We'll probably learn about the beasts themselves in Defence Against the Dark Arts some time, and we'll learn about the laws concerning them in History of Magic, since it was quite a while ago that they were outlawed."

"I can't wait," Hermione remarked, bouncing slightly.

"But like you said Hermione, the dragon is the least of concerns at present. Obviously Dumbledore doesn't want that Stone to fall into the wrong hands … and Snape is trying to steal it … Dumbledore probably doesn't know about that, and therefore won't be able to do anything more about protecting it," Harry said, going over what they knew.

"Nemo, the most important thing right now is to try and pass the exams," Hermione interrupted him. "Dumbledore can take care of the Stone – I don't think Snape will be able to steal it …"

"I think Snape knows more than you suspect," Harry interrupted her. "I never told you, because it didn't seem too significant at the time, but after the last Quidditch Match, I saw Snape going into the forest. I followed him," he ignored Hermione's gasp and attempt to tell him what a bad idea that had been, "I found out that Snape knows most of the puzzle, and that Quirrell knows the last bit … Snape was trying to find out what it was."

"Which we now know is the set of things that the teachers set up," Hermione said. "Which means that …"

"Snape knows how to get past Fluffy," Harry sighed. "Quirrell doesn't seem to have broken yet, but he's obviously not having the best time at present, because I'm sure you've noticed that he's getting paler and paler as the days go by."

"Yeah …" Neville said. "Hey, guys … shouldn't we develop some sort of coding for talking about this stuff. I mean, if Snape found out that we know about him, and if _anyone_ finds out we know about the Stone … that's not going to be good, is it?"

"You're right," Harry reflected. "I hadn't thought of that … I mean, I'd thought of being careful about where we spoke, and when … but the idea of a code escaped me completely."

Harry was quite surprised at this, considering the amount of codes he and Sirius had used in the past to protect each other … but he guessed that he had always thought of Hogwarts as a fairly safe place, because Sirius had always said it was, and he was already using a code for his name, but that was different, he supposed.

Hermione was looking a little disgusted that she hadn't thought of it either. "We'll have to think of something that we won't forget," she remarked. "So it should sound something like what we really mean."

"Maybe 'stone' should become 'ruby' or something like that," Neville suggested.

"You've been spending too much time with Blaise," Harry accused the other boy. "You're getting really good at being sneaky."

Neville gave an embarrassed grin, knowing that Harry was only joking.

"OK, so, the Ruby is going to be stolen by …" Harry murmured, thinking. "By the …dragon?"

"We could pretend it's some story that we are writing for our friends at home," Hermione suggested. "I mean, that could work, couldn't it?"

"Yeah!" Neville said enthusiastically, "So, we could have it that there is a ruby in a maze full of obstacles, and we are deciding what those obstacles are!"

"And that way we can debate about it all we like," Hermione agreed, "Because we 'change' the obstacles and debate what we want them to become!"

"OK, so Fluffy can become Hades' Three Headed Dog of the Underworld," Harry mused, "Now, I do remember what the legends call it, I just need a moment to think, I haven't read about it for sometime … That's right! Cerebus!"

"OK, so Fluffy is now Cerebus," Hermione said, writing something down on a blank piece of parchment.

"What are you writing?" Harry asked.

"That the first obstacle is Cerebus," Hermione replied. She turned the page towards them.

_Cerebus – DECIDED_, it read. Next there were five blank spaces with question marks in front of them, and running down the other side of the page was a list:

_Plant_

_Potion_

_Dark-something_

_Charmed_

_Transfigured_

_Big end._

"We don't know what any of them are, and should anyone ask, we can just say that we are writing a story which incorporates what we have been learning at Hogwarts so far this year," Hermione explained.

"Good," Harry said, nodding his head slightly. "So now we can try and decide what the other things are!"

"Well, Hagrid told us who helped to protect the ruby," Hermione said, "So we can expect that they did something to do with their field of expertise – that's why I wrote that list down the side."

Harry and Neville nodded slowly. "So, we know vaguely what to expect … but how can we get past whatever it is?" he wondered aloud.

"By studying for the upcoming exams," Hermione said firmly.

"How does that help?" Harry demanded.

"Because by studying for each of the subjects, we learn more about them, and have a better chance of discovering really good ways of getting the main characters through the maze!" Hermione replied triumphantly.

"I hate to say this," Harry remarked slowly, "But she's right."

Neville nodded tiredly.

"But there's no point in studying any more tonight," Harry said before Hermione could suggest that they get back to work. "We'd better go down to dinner, then have a good nights sleep so that we'll be awake to concentrate in the morning."

Hermione looked ready to argue, but Neville agreed with Harry before she could say anything, as she was obliged to go along with them. "You know, we'll have to let Blaise in on this soon," Harry said to his friends.

"Can we trust her with something like this?" Hermione asked, "I mean, she's in Slytherin…"

"I think we can," Harry replied firmly, "and that's all the better – she's cunning and sly, and so she should be able to help us find things out!"

"I suppose," Hermione said slowly, "But …"

"I like Blaise," Neville said, "I think we can trust her."

Hermione nodded unwillingly, "I like her too," she said slowly, "But there are so many bad things said about Slytherin … it's hard to forget them all."

"Voldemort was in Slytherin," Harry remarked, not really thinking.

"Don't say his name!" Neville hissed. "You know it's bad luck Nemo!"

Harry shrugged slightly. "I don't think it's bad luck," he said coolly, "I think that it's just plain stupid. What harm can saying the name of a wizard who is supposed to be dead do?"

"I dunno," Neville said, "But I don't like it either."

Harry just sighed. "Well, I'll not stop saying it until I have proof that it's bad luck or whatever," he said.

"So when shall we tell Blaise?" Hermione asked, giving in.

"Tomorrow," Harry decided. "We'll have to go somewhere out on the grounds though … just so we can't be overheard."

* * *

grand admiral chelli, JeanieBeanie33, cantfindagoodname, gual1, kraeg001, darkangelgep, Shadowface, Jeanne2, mileseon, athenakitty, Samara-Morgan-101, Motif, cyress, Wynjara, vicky, Silver Scale Serpent, sari, NateP, Romulan Empress, torifire126, IceSugarHigh, Musicstarlover, SkyFireZero, Siri Kat, SkyFireZero, Nasser Himura, Surarrin, Potter Sister, Empress Sarah-sama, Chains of Death, blank, Snuggs, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, Loopy Luna Lovegood, easilyamused, legolasfan91, roxy.

WolfMoon


	22. Help and Hatching

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twenty Two: Help and Hatching

The next day dawned bright and clear, and Harry, Neville and Hermione found Blaise and took her for a long jog around the school grounds. Everyone was used to seeing this now, as the foursome often ran together.

Now Harry's students were beginning to be able to run easier, and so they could talk as they ran, for a little while. But of course, the group could not maintain running and talking for long, and so soon settled down to rest and talk properly.

They told Blaise of all that they had done so far, and she knew that they spoke the truth as they knew it – they would not lie to her, she knew well.

When they had finished talking, she nodded her agreement to their words. "I'll help you, as best I can," she told them firmly, her conviction plain. "Just tell me what to do."

"For now, watch Snape, and listen for Fluffy. If you hear him stop growling, or note anything suspicious, send word to one of us," Harry replied.

"Yes Sir! Captain Nemo Sir!" Blaise said, saluting jokingly, before they got up and began to run again. Harry smiled as he jogged easily at the forefront of his friends, leading them on a full circuit of the Hogwarts grounds before returning to the spot where they had talked.

Here they took up the beginning exercises of Tae-Kwon-Do as Harry led them through the basics. He couldn't teach them in the traditional form, with the right clothing or any of that, since he hadn't learnt it yet, but he hoped that when the holidays came and they returned to their homes that they would find a local teacher and begin to learn properly.

Harry didn't know exactly what he should teach them first, since he had never really thought about it before. It had been so long since he had himself begun to learn that he couldn't remember were his own teacher had started him.

In the light of this, Harry simply followed his instincts and hoped that he was doing what he should be. If not, his friends would have learn properly with a certified teacher.

He had told them all of this, but they wanted him to teach them anyway, and now that Harry had accepted the task, he would do his best to teach.

The days passed in a round of classes, studying, running, practicing … Hermione was insistent that they spend as much time studying as possible, and about the only thing that would shift her was the suggestion that Harry teach them some more.

Harry was getting heartily sick of studying, and he was also growing more and more worried about the dragon egg in Hagrid's hut, since he knew that every day that went by was a day closer to the hatching, and he still had no idea what he could do about it.

Sirius hadn't replied to the letter Harry had sent him, informing him of the situation at Hogwarts, and Harry was growing concerned, since it had been over a week since the letter had been sent, and Sirius had never failed to reply for so long before.

Harry's worries, however, was soon to be momentarily forgotten when a letter arrived at the Gryffindor table one lunch time. There were only two words on the parchment, and they were written in a familiar scrawl. _It's hatching_.

Neville attempted to convince Hermione to skip Herbology and see the hatching, his main argument being that it wasn't every day you saw a dragon hatching. Neville _liked_ Herbology, but he was getting very tired of spending all of his time doing class related things.

"Neville! Our end of year tests are coming up. Need I mention that whatever happens we'll get in trouble for it, and on top of that, we might miss something that we'll need for our exams!" Hermione informed Neville angrily.

"It would be an educational experience, watching a dragon hatching," Harry said slowly, thinking. A flicker of doubt appeared on Hermione's face, and a look of hope on Neville's, but Harry knew that Hermione was right, in his heart, and his next words removed all doubt of what they would do. "But a hatching can take several hours, even days sometimes, to be completed, and if Hagrid says it's hatching, that probably means that the beginning of the process has started … if we turn up after Herbology, we won't have missed anything but a lot of nervous waiting."

Neville sighed, his cause lost, and Hermione brightened considerably. The three of them left the hall and went outside to Herbology, where Harry listened as attentively as he could to Sprout's lecture on the Devil Snare.

It was, however, somewhat hard to pay attention. By the time the class the finished, he remembered something about them binding their victims tightly, and that they liked the dark and damp. He remembered something about a joke involving a Devils Snare in a potion masters cupboard, but he didn't remember what the joke itself was.

Along with Neville and Hermione, Harry made his way down to Hagrid's hut, where they knocked on the door and answered quietly when Hagrid furtively asked for their names.

"It hasn't hatched yet," Hagrid said in a hushed whisper as they joined him at his large table. On the centre of the table the egg rested, rocking to and fro. Hagrid watched the egg with an expression of awe and happiness.

Hermione and Neville watched with interest, and some trepidation, and Harry … Harry watched, an expression of interest overlaying his true feelings of concern and trepidation, all the while his agile mind forming plans, and then dropping them in favour of others.

As a tiny crack formed near the top of the egg, Harry reflected that there was very little he could do until he saw Sirius again.

More cracks formed, and against his will, almost, Harry leant forward with the other three to watch the final stages of the dragons birth.

With a loud _crack_, the egg split in half and the baby dragon spilled out onto the table top. Hagrid's breath caught in a half sob, but Harry couldn't help but think the little creature a little ugly, and very ungainly.

The little creature cried out in hunger, and Hagrid reached out to tickle it under the chin. The dragon snapped at his fingers, then sneezed and emitted a tiny burst of flame.

Hagrid seemed totally taken with the dragon, and he didn't notice, though Harry did, a face at the window – a face that was frighteningly familiar. Hagrid did not notice Harry's quick goodbye, or him dragging his friends from the house.

Outside, Harry pointed ahead of them when his friends questioned why it was that he had pulled them out so quickly. There, running up the steps to the castle, was Draco Malfoy.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione demanded, "I don't know how Malfoy found out about any of this, but it's going to be really dangerous for Hagrid now that someone who has no reason to keep his secret knows about it."

Harry sighed, "I don't know," he replied. "But rest assured I'll find something to do about it."

Hermione sighed, "Why is that all this is happening to us?" she wondered aloud, "All I want to do is to be able to concentrate fully on the exams coming up and learn everything I possibly can!"

"No one can be sure why they were picked to fulfil a particular task," Harry told her, "But right now, all we have to do is concentrate on what needs doing, and do it."

"The ruby is our main concern?" Neville asked.

"At the moment, no. Our main concern is the dragon," Harry replied. "The ruby can wait, I don't think that it is, yet, in any real danger. The protector seems to be holding, and who knows that the thief may want it for? It may not be for anything _evil_, as such, or even hurtful."

Neville and Hermione both nodded, "So, we worry about the dragon for now," Neville said acceptingly.

"_And_ our exams," Hermione reminded them. "_Everything_ should be second to them, at least until we know for sure that the thief wants to use the ruby for harm."

The three nodded, and they walked up towards the castle. However, a chance glance made by Harry noticed that there, in the shadows by the edge of the forest, was a large, canine-shaped shadow.

He smiled – it seemed that Sirius had answered his letter after all, just not in the form he had, perhaps, expected.

"Master, what is it you wish me to do?" Quirrell asked, pacing around his study, almost angrily. "Severus is still swooping around, keeping an eye on me …"

"_Forget him_," a voice hissed, seeming to come from Quirrell himself. "_He is, for the moment, irrelevant. When I have triumphed, he will be punished, rest assured, unless he has a very good reason for his actions. Now you have only to concentrate on getting past his little test … and finding out what it was that Dumbledore did!_"

"But master, if I enquire too closely, Dumbledore will surely become alerted to me … you are not strong enough yet to risk an encounter with him, and if he suspects me, you may never be."

_"Leave Dumbledore to me, fool! Just continue finding the unicorns, and killing them, that I might live and grow strong. Concern yourself with that, and for the moment finding out what Severus has done, and how to get past it, will be enough… We will deal with whatever Dumbledore has done when the time comes for it._"

"Yes master, of course," Quirrell stammered.

"_And do not question my orders!_" Quirrell fell to his knees, his hands reaching up, as if he wanted to take the turban and throw it from himself, but his hands fell back to the ground soon enough as he supported himself against the wracking pains that came from the back of his head, his master showing his servant that _he_ was the one in command.

* * *

Well, sorry about the short chapter, but I figured that you'd want _something_ from me, even if it isn't much. Now that school has gone back, I already have quite a lot of things to do, so I won't be able to get much of this story done, necessarily. School is a busy place, especially for me right now. My OWL's (as such) are approaching _way_ too fast for my liking (I have trial exams in September, and the real thing in November.) I'll try and work as much as I can, but I'm also co-writing a BRILLIANT story with a friend of mine – we'll start posting it in a month or two, I expect. Look out for Darkness Rising: The Unicorn Hunt by **Three Craaaaaaazy Aussies**.

Thanks To:

Kraeg001, azntgr01, torifire126, easilyamused, Nerwen Elendil, NateP, Jeanne2, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, athenakitty, Samara-Morgan-101, someone, IceSugarHigh, darkangelgep, Vicky, Musicstarlover, JeanieBeanie33, cyress, Wytil, gaul1, hermione21, Surarrin, I-want-to-fly, mileseon, Cyblade Silver, Krisalyn, grand admiral chelli, Loopy Loona Lovegood, xxGREEN BAYxx, cantfindagoodname, sami1010220, Regulus Black II, Empress Sarah-sama, TheShadowPanther, Siri Kat, Rawiya Prabhakar, Hermione Malfoy Potter, AltonShadefoot, CuriousKitty, Crissy Potter, Darkshadow.


	23. Bitten

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twenty Eight: Bitten

Once he was sure that everyone in the dorm was asleep, Harry took his invisibility cloak and stole down from the Gryffindor tower and out onto the grounds. There seemed to be no light at all coming from Hagrid's hut, but Harry knew that this was only because the curtains were drawn closed. He was sure that Hagrid was busy enough within, taking care of his pet dragon.

With a sigh, Harry turned down towards the forest, then froze and drew back against the castle. He could see, walking hurriedly down towards the forest, a cloaked figure, sinister and powerful.

He shivered slightly. "It feels evil, does it not?" Sirius came out of the darkness beside him, and Harry struggled not to scream in fright at his sudden appearance. "Easy lad, I didn't mean to scare you," Sirius added, resting a hand lightly on Harry's shoulder.

Harry nodded. "I know," he replied. "But you did anyway."

Sirius smiled slightly, but his eyes were on the figure disappearing into the forest. "I don't like it," he said quietly, "Even I could feel the evil coming from whoever that was … that's not someone I'd like to meet on a dark night."

"Snape?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Sirius replied. "It didn't _smell_ like Snape, it smelt impure … but then, that smell could easily have come from some potion the git was making. I really couldn't tell, and right now, I don't relish the idea of following him, if it is a him."

"Don't," Harry said reflexively. "I don't know why, but I don't want you to go. If you go, I don't know if you'd come back."

Sirius squeezed his godsons shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, I won't leave you alone. Now, or ever," he told Harry. "I feel that I_ should_ go after that thing, but only to find out what's going on. Otherwise, every instinct I possess is screaming for me to remain here and to stay far away from the forest tonight."

Harry smiled. "Did you come because you got my message?" he asked.

"I did indeed," Sirius replied. "I share your concerns about the dragon – those creatures are no laughing matter. We have to find some way of getting Hagrid to give it up."

"But the only reason he'd do that if he knew that it would be going to a safe place," Harry pointed out. "And off the top of my head, I don't know any of those."

"The safest place would be one of the dragon colonies … I could possibly take it to the nearest one of them, but you'd have to help me a little," Sirius replied, "For a start, you'd have to get the dragon to me."

Harry nodded. "I'll see what we can come up with," he said.

"I'll think on it too, but I'll stay hidden from the rest of the castle," Sirius said, "I'll contact you if I need anything, or if I think of any likely story."

Harry nodded, and the pair of them went their separate ways. As he walked up toward the Gryffindor tower, hidden by the Invisibility Cloak, Harry chanced a glance down at the grounds, and saw the figure returning from the forest to the castle. He knew where Sirius would have gone, down beneath the Whomping Willow tree, where he knew that no one could find him, and Harry was glad that his godfather was out of the way.

Knowing that the figure was down there, and wanting to know who it was, Harry hurried up to the Gryffindor tower, where he had left the Marauders map. He was wishing, now, that he had taken it with him that night.

When he reached the tower and his dormitory, Harry found the map and activated it, but by the time he had, Snape, it seemed, was in his quarters, sleeping, and the only one's still awake were Quirrell and Dumbledore. Each of those were pacing in their offices.

Harry sighed. The answer to his riddle was no closer to completion, he quickly realised. For a while he stared at the map, willing it to give up its mysteries, then, giving up, he went to bed and fell into a deep but troubled sleep.

The next few weeks seemed to go from bad to worse, in Harry's estimation. Hagrid's dragon, which he had ended up calling 'Norbert' of all things, was growing fast, and in a week was almost half the size of Hagrid's hut.

"Hagrid, you have to let him go," Harry said, staring at the man, willing him to believe it.

Hagrid turned away first, "I know," he said sadly, "But I don't want him to get hurt out there in the wild … he won't have anyone to take care o' him! He needs his mummy!"

Harry sighed. He hadn't seen much of his godfather over the week, but he knew that Sirius was around. He decided that he would have to go and talk to his godfather soon, since the situation would very soon be forced out of their hands if they didn't do something soon.

That day, however, he returned to the Gryffindor common room, leaving Sirius, and Hagrid, undisturbed for the time being.

Not long after that, things went from bad to worse when Harry, aiding Hagrid in feeding Norbert, who was now approaching the full length of Hagrid's hut, was bitten badly.

"Nemo! You shouldn't have gotten in 'is way!" Hagrid admonished, not seeming to notice that Harry's hand was bleeding. Scowling with pain and annoyance, Harry left the hut without a further word, hearing Hagrid humming Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star.

Utterly disgusted, Harry wrapped his hand in the corner of his coat, hissing quietly in pain. Under the invisibility cloak, he made it easily back to the dorm and wrapped his hand in bandages, wincing every time he pulled it tighter. If Norbert's fangs were poisonous, Harry didn't want the poison entering his blood stream.

Once he'd finished that, he lay in his bed and waited for hours for sleep to claim him, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his hand, which was not a good thing. He was not sure what finally lulled him to sleep, but sleep he did, and deeply, once he got there.

In the morning his hand, when he unbandaged it, was going a little green. Evidently, as he had suspected, the fangs _had_ been poisonous. Going to the bathroom before anyone else in the dorm woke up, Harry washed first himself, then his wound thoroughly, and re-bandaged it firmly, hoping to keep the wounds origin a secret. It was a good thing that the _thing_ had bitten his left hand really, so he could still do everything he needed to in class.

The only people he told the truth to were Neville, Hermione and Blaise.

"Draco's been acting pretty smug lately," Blaise said that recess as they walked around a courtyard. Harry felt restless and didn't want to sit, so the others humoured him and wandered. Even Hermione was persuaded out of trying to study for the coming exams to keep him company.

"Any idea's why?" Harry asked, wincing as he moved his hand a little. It hadn't stopped throbbing all day, and he really wished that he could go to Madam Pomfrey, but she'd know a dragon bite straight off, he was sure. He would go and see Sirius today after classes and see what his godfather could do for him.

"I'm sure it's because he knows about Norbert," Blaise replied grimly. Though she hadn't met the little menace personally, she had heard all about him from the Gryffindor threesome.

Harry nodded. "I expect so," he replied. "See if you can find out anything from him, what he's done about it."

"Knowing Malfoy, he'll have gone running to his father," Blaise said softly, "Lucius has way too much power … if anyone can do anything about Hagrid, it's him. He could go head to head with Dumbledore, and he _might_ just come out on top."

Harry sighed. "Look, I'm not going to come to the next class," he said, making up his mind then and there. "My hand hurts, so I'm going to go back up to the tower and wash it out."

"You _should_ go and see Madam Pomfrey," Hermione told him.

"I know, but I can't risk that until Norbert is _gone_," Harry replied. "I don't want to get Hagrid in trouble."

"If you get really sick, it won't be helping anything," Hermione pointed out.

"If it gets any worse, I'll go and see Madam Pomfrey, regardless of the consequences," Harry promised her, just as the bell went. "Make my excuses and get the notes for me, would you?" he added as they all headed inside.

"OK," Hermione said, sounding as if it was against her better judgement, and the foursome separated. Harry did what he had said he would and went back to the tower to bathe his hand. Now it had swelled slightly and the bandage was cutting into his soft, red-green flesh.

Wincing with every move he made, Harry rinsed the wound. The wound itself was weeping a little and Harry shuddered, because it looked rather disgusting, before bandaging it painfully back up again, and throwing the Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders before starting downstairs and out onto the grounds again.

Using a large stick, he froze the branches of the Whomping Willow and headed quickly down the passageway, whistling loudly to let Sirius know who was coming. Harry and Dan had made their special whistle, and it was that tune that Harry whistled now – Sirius would know beyond doubt that it was him who came.

Sure enough, when Harry reached the end of the passage, Sirius was holding the trap door open, and helped Harry up into the room beyond. Most of the place seemed to be layered with dust. "Why haven't you cleaned that up?" he asked, "Surely it wouldn't be that hard?"  
"Just in case someone comes," Sirius replied. "Your hand – it's bandaged! What happened?" he asked, as he led Harry upstairs and into a bedroom with a bed that still seemed to be mainly in one piece.

Harry lay down, grateful to rest, and explained what had happened. "I don't know what we can do, but we really need to do it soon," he finished off, his injured hand resting on his chest. "I can't take much more of this, and I'm sure that Hagrid is going to get seriously hurt if we don't do something soon."

Sirius came over and gently took of the bandage, though Harry still screwed up his face in pain. "Sorry," Sirius apologised.

"It's ok," Harry replied, "It needs to be done."

Once the bandage was taken off, Sirius too winced on seeing the wound. "Nasty," he remarked.

"Tell me about it," Harry replied, trying to keep his hand still.

"Well, luckily for you I know something on treating wounds," Sirius grinned, and murmured a spell. Harry felt the pain reduce dramatically. Sirius used a spell to redo the bandage for Harry, and the boy knew that there was some sort of salve on his hand as well.

"Come back in the early hours of the morning," Sirius told him softly. "Then I'll do it again for you. It should go down in a couple of days."

"OK, but that doesn't take care of the problem with the dragon," Harry pointed out.

Sirius nodded. "I guess that I'll have to take it to a reserve somewhere," he remarked tiredly, "Since we don't know anyone else … I don't particularly relish the thought of flying with a dragon for miles on end, but it doesn't seem like I have a choice right now."

"That still leaves the problem of getting Hagrid to give Norbert to you," Harry pointed out.

"Hagrid knows nothing about your family, correct?" Sirius smiled, "I shall therefore play a cousin who once worked as a dragon-tamer and knows plenty about them and where all the reserves are."

Harry smiled. "Right, I'll let Hagrid know about that and hopefully he'll agree to give me Norbert to give to you."

"Let me know what the plan is once you've talked to him, and let him know that sooner is better," Sirius replied, and hugged his godson briefly. "I'll see you soon OK?"

Harry nodded, said goodbye, and left, his heart considerably lighter than when he had arrived.

Up in the Gryffindor tower, completely alone in the first year dorms, Peter Petigrew resumed his human form and hurried upstairs to the older year dorms. He knew very well that the Weasley Twins had the Marauders Map, and he knew that Sirius had one too … so if Sirius ever came to Hogwarts, he would be able to find Peter.

It was a good thing, then, that when they had created the maps, the foursome had devised a spell to keep themselves off it. All they had to do was go to one of the maps every three weeks and do the spell, and they would be invisible. It didn't matter which map, the spell, done on one, would work on all.

The only downside, of course, was the fact that it had to be constantly renewed, and so far this year Peter had already nearly been caught several times.

And of course, _if_ Sirius ever came to Hogwarts looking for him, Peter had used magic to change his appearance anyway. With a brief smile, Peter resumed rat form and fell asleep on Ron's pillow, content that, for the moment, his secret was safe.

* * *

Well, there's that chapter done. Sorry I didn't have it up earlier, I finished it awhile ago, but I haven't been on the net at home recently, and keep forgetting to take it with me when I go out (I was on Work Experience all last week in a building FULL of computers connected to a broadband network, but oh well.) Next chapter out sooner, I hope!

**To all of you who asked why I was preparing for tests/going to school in summer, in Australia it's just past the middle of Winter, and summer holidays don't start until December for us.**

Thanks to:

Musicstarlover, Nerwen Elendil, darkangelgep, Wytil, hermione21, kraeg001, FreedomStar, torifire126, Jeanne2, NateP, Crissy Potter, Empress Sarah-sama, JeanieBeanie33, grand admiral chelli, Samara-Morgan-101, cantfindagoodname, washu, DragonTamer9741, Siri Kat, IceSugarHigh, Lunatic Pandora1, Kiku-san, cyress, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, humg321, DragonFoxx, Hermione Malfoy Potter, Grumpy, Silver Scale Serpent, kittyelah, PadfootObsessed329, inquisitive, blip-dragon, athenakitty, michaelrccurtis, sami1010220, AltonShadefoot, tish tosh, me.

WolfMoon


	24. Relieved Farewell

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This story is kinda needing a beta-reading, I'm thinking. Anyone interested? is my email if you are!

* * *

**__**

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twenty Four: Relieved Farewell

Talking Hagrid into letting Harry take Norbert was hard work, but eventually they succeeded, and agreed on Saturday at Midnight. Harry would come, alone, beneath the Invisibility Cloak and take Norbert to meet with his 'cousin'.

"Can' I meet him?" Hagrid asked.

"My family are secretive, Hagrid. He won't come unless he only sees me while he's here," Harry replied. It wasn't quite a lie. Sirius would hardly come out and show himself to someone who thought he was a murderer.

Hagrid nodded sadly, "All righ' then," he muttered. "I'll have 'im here and ready for you."

"At ten o'clock on Saturday night?" Harry half-asked, half stated, wanting only Hagrid's confirmation of the fact.

"Yeah, I'll have 'im ready then," Hagrid replied.

"Good," Harry said. He did not have the time, or the inclination, to feel sorry for Hagrid – Norbert was a menace, and must be sent away as soon as possible. Hagrid would miss him, perhaps, but it would be better for the whole school if Norbert was no longer there.

"I have to go," Harry said, since he had to finish an assignment given him by Snape, which was due in the following morning, and which Harry had only just begun … he had not had time to think of homework, being rather busy with trying to get rid of Norbert and recovering from the bite to his hand.

He had told Hermione and Neville that the bite was probably recovering quickly because Norbert was yet young, and the poison on his fangs had not yet had a chance to become as deadly as it would be when the dragon was full grown.

Having done a little research on dragons, in particular the Norwegian Ridgeback, Harry had discovered that the bite of an adult of the kind, untreated, could easily kill. This knowledge had given Harry a stronger desire to see the end of the Norbert – he'd been lucky. If he had left the bite for long without getting medical help, and he had been bitten by a year old dragon, he might have been dead now.

_Alls well. See you at the agreed time_,

Harry sent the message with his owl and told Neville and Hermione what was going on. They just smiled and nodded, both of them still concentrating on finishing the homework due in the next day.

Harry sat down and started on the work himself, keeping quiet, since that was the rule of the day when it came to Hermione and homework. He would have much rather been down talking to Sirius, but he had to work on Potions, because he wasn't particularly good at it, and Snape didn't help – Harry was afraid of the Potions Master, who he thought wanted him dead, and had some interest in stealing something from Dumbledore.

"So?" Hermione asked.

"We'll be rid of Norbert by Sunday morning," Harry replied. "Someone from my family is coming to take him away."

"That's nice of them – not many people would be willing to deal with a dragon the size of a house," Neville remarked.

"Well, my uncle said that if the thing had bitten me, then it probably wasn't safe to give it the opportunity to do so again," Harry told them. "So he agreed to get it out of here, since Hagrid doesn't want it to get hurt. He's going to take it to a reserve."

Hermione and Neville nodded and the group settled down to do their homework quietly. Soon enough, Harry had finished his Potions homework and read over it several times to make sure it was acceptable. Snape was still picking on him a lot, and Harry wished he could call the man 'Snivellus' in class. He wouldn't though, because Snape would likely expel him for it …

Maybe there would be another way … if Snape was being particularly annoying, anyway.

"I'm going to send a note to Blaise and ask her if she wants to meet in the library in ten minutes," Harry said. "We can finish our homework there, if you guys haven't already?"

"I'm done," Hermione replied, putting the final full stop on her own assignment. "You go do that and I'll give Neville a hand."

Harry nodded and hurried off to the Owlery to write the note. A few minutes later he was back in the Gryffindor common room, and he and Hermione helped Neville finish his homework while they waited for a response from Blaise.

Eventually Hedwig appeared.

_Nemo, love to. See you there_.

The note was not signed, but Blaise's notes generally weren't. The three Gryffindor's had learnt what her writing looked like, but as it was very curly and very small, yet still very neat, it wasn't that hard to recognise.

"Let's go!" Harry said cheerfully, and the threesome packed away their things and headed for the library, arriving about the same time as Blaise did.

"I wish we had more classes together," Blaise said when she saw them, walking over to see them. "I've been debating whether I should send you an owl all day!"

"Why?" Harry asked.

"What's happened?" Neville enquired.

"Tell us!" Hermione said eagerly.

"Malfoy knows about Norbert," Blaise replied. "I know you know that … but he knows that you're going to try and get rid of him, and he wants to either stop you, or get you in a lot of trouble!"

"Oh dear …" Hermione whispered.

"It's ok, he can't find out what we've got planned," Harry said confidently.

"He's been after me all day, trying to information out of me. I told him that I only knew you were getting rid of the dragon, not when, where or how … which is, I might add, the truth."

Harry hadn't gotten a chance to tell her what was going on as yet. Hermione went to tell Blaise what was going on, but Harry stopped her. "Blaise, I don't like to leave you in the dark … but perhaps we'd better wait to tell you what's happening until after it's happened," he said, "That way you can tell Malfoy the truth, and there's no _way_ he can get anything out of you. I know you'd never tell anything voluntarily, but there are ways of making people talk when they don't want to, and I'd hate for you to fall pray to any of them."

Blaise nodded and sighed, "I was going to suggest that myself," she told him tiredly. "I hate _not_ knowing things, but at the moment I think it's for the best."

Harry, Hermione and Neville nodded in agreement. "So, do you think Malfoy has any idea what we're going to do?" Harry asked.

"I don't know – I don't think so," Blaise replied. "But I don't trust him…"

Harry nodded, "I don't either … but let's forget him and enjoy hanging out, shall we?"

Saturday night came round soon enough and Harry slipped under the Invisibility Cloak and out of the dormitory, hurrying down onto the grounds where he found Sirius waiting for him in the guise of a dog.

He smiled a greeting. "I'll get Hagrid to help me bring him around to the other side of the forest," Harry told his godfather, "Meet you there."

Sirius nodded and bounded away. Harry hurried onwards and knocked on the door of Hagrid's hut. It was opened by Hagrid, who was crying softly, tears dripping through his busy, tangled beard and soaking his jerkin.

"Ye'd best cum in, I s'pose," he muttered, opening the door and allowing Harry inside. Harry came in and dropped the Invisibility cloak on the ground.

"How is he?" Harry asked.

"I've packed 'im up in a nice crate," Hagrid replied, his voice wavering, betraying his sadness even more than his tears did. "'E's out in the pumpkin patch … waitin'."

Harry nodded, "Could you help me carry him around to the other side of the forest? My relatives will meet me there when you leave."

Hagrid nodded, and walked outside. A large crate was indeed waiting outside. "I've packed him a snack, and 'is teddy," Hagrid told Harry, as ripping sounds came from within the crate. It sounded like teddy wouldn't be there when Norbert emerged.

Hagrid lifted the huge crate with very little physical effort. Harry was glad that he wouldn't have to carry the thing himself, and didn't envy Sirius the job … then again, Sirius would probably cast a weightless charm on it, that way it wouldn't matter how much Norbert weighed.

Hagrid and Harry didn't talk as they walked around the forest, Harry leading the way until they reached a place where the forest dipped in a little ways. This was where Harry had meant, so he spoke softly to Hagrid, bidding him leave Norbert on the ground and leave.

Now sobbing quietly, Hagrid did as he was told and hurried back to his hut, not looking back once, as if he wanted to forget that he was abandoning his little Norbert.

Harry sighed, it was a pity that Hagrid had grown so attached to the creature, but it didn't matter now – the important thing was that Norbert was leaving, and then life could get back to normal.

Well, as normal as things could get when the Philosopher's Stone was hidden in the school and one of the teachers was trying to steal it, anyway.

Sirius emerged from the shadows on the edge of the forest. "Avoid the forest if you can, Harry," he told his godson softly, "There's dark things in there … the whole place is wary, and I swear I saw some unicorn blood … it's not a good sign, not a good sign at all."

Harry nodded. "That's Norbert," he said unnecessarily, nodding the crate on the ground between them.

"Harry, promise me you won't go into the forest," Sirius said, not allowing Harry to change the subject and get out of it.

"I promise that unless it absolutely necessary, I will avoid the Forbidden Forest," Harry replied. He would never break his promise, and just in case it _was_ necessary, he wanted to cover the option.

Sirius's eyes narrowed.

"If the school needs me to go into the forest, I won't have a choice," Harry said, "And if I thought I could gain something really important, I'd go then as well."

Sirius sighed, "I know you would. I'm not sure if that's something I hate about you, or something I love."

Harry grinned back lazily, "Knowing you, probably a bit of both," he remarked.

"Probably," Sirius sighed, "Depends on the situation too."

"Yeah. You'll be right with Norbert?" Harry asked, getting back to business.

"I'll be fine. I bought myself a Nimbus Two Thousand since I went home … thought you'd like me to have one when you came back for the holidays – that way we can have _real_ flying competitions."

Harry smiled back, and reached out to hug his godfather. "Be careful," he told Sirius quietly, "Don't be seen."

"I won't be," Sirius replied, "Or at least, I'll try not to be."

"Here," Harry held out the Invisibility Cloak, "Take this – that way you can be sure."

"But Harry, how will you get back to the dormitory?" Sirius demanded, eyes widening.

"I'll find a way," Harry replied. "I've got the Marauders Map, it'll tell me where everyone is, and I can always use the secret passageways to get out of trouble."

Sirius nodded. "Thanks," he told his godson, taking the cloak and swirling it around his shoulders, casting a charm on the crate that held Norbert, and then lifting it and disappearing into the gloom. Harry didn't hang around to wait for his godfather to take off – wearing the Invisibility Cloak, he wouldn't see the man anyway.

Taking the Marauders Map out of his pocket, Harry headed up to the castle, keeping an eye on ever moving thing near by him until he was back in the common room.

"Where have you been?"

* * *

Well, that's it for that chapter. A little cliffie, and just so you know, it wasn't Filch who caught him … rather, someone else… you'll find out who next chapter.

Thanks:

Surarrin, JeanieBeanie33, Nerwen Elendil, NateP, hermione21, Crissy Potter, Hermione Malfoy Potter, darkangelgep, athenakitty, Samara-Morgan-101, tish tosh, ERMonkey, Burner of Cookies, uNoeWhe, Dark Diviner, cyress.

WolfMoon


	25. In Trouble

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Chapter Twenty Five: In Trouble

Harry froze. He'd just walked through the portrait hole into the common room. He realised, with a silent curse, that he hadn't been looking _within _the common room for anyone … just outside, on the way to it.

Ron Weasley stood in front of him, staring at him challengingly. "Well?" the red-haired boy demanded.

"None of your business," Harry replied.

"Meeting with your Slytherin girlfriend?" Ron said, cutting Harry off from his route upstairs.

"For you information, no, I wasn't. Besides, Blaise isn't my girlfriend, she's just a friend who happens to be a girl," Harry informed him calmly.

"Tell me where you were or I'll tell McGonagall you were out late," Ron threatened.

"Ron – it's none of your business what I do, or where I go," Harry said, voice cold. "I wasn't doing anything that was hugely against the rules … just helping out a friend in need."

"You really expect me to believe that?" Ron demanded. "I'm telling McGonagall anyway – you're always breaking the rules and never getting in trouble, don't think I haven't noticed. It's not fair – I've had five detentions this year, and you've wormed your way out of every one that the teachers ever tried to give you."

"Oh, so you'll go to Professor McGonagall and tell her I was out of the tower at midnight? What then?" Harry demanded.

"The whole house will realise what a loser you are and forget about you," Ron replied, "They'll see that you don't care about Gryffindor or anything!"

"No Ron, they'll all hate _you_, not me. I was helping a friend, staying loyal, as Gryffindor's are supposed to do. _You_ would have gone tattling to the teacher on one of your house mates and possibly make us lose the house competition," Harry told him smugly. "So whatever you do, I might get in a bit of trouble, but you'll get in a whole heap more."

Ron paled and thought about that. He knew that Harry had a point – if Harry could sneak around and break the rules _without_ getting caught, most of the house would turn a blind eye. If Harry got caught through his own mistakes, they'd blame him for it, but if a fellow student got in trouble for no particular reason, the house would band behind Harry _against_ the other student.

"You don't have a choice Ron. Forget this ever happened and I'll forget that you tried to get me in trouble … try it again and I'll be forced to do something you'll regret," Harry said.

"Like what?"

"Like getting _you_ in the kind of trouble that you've been trying to get _me_ in," Harry replied, "And I could do it, Ron. We both know that. Even if you really didn't do it, I could make it look just like you had."

Ron glared at him, then turned and strode angrily upstairs. Harry sighed. He really didn't like the youngest Weasley brother, or Percy, the oldest one still amongst the students. Fred and George were great, and from what he'd heard of their sister, she'd be cool too, when she came to the Hogwarts the next year.

After a moment, Harry followed Ron upstairs to the dormitory and went to bed, thinking how relieved he was to be rid of Norbert.

The next few weeks passed without much event, though Ron was looking daggers at Harry more often than ever. Harry knew that Ron wouldn't be able to do anything against him now though, so he left the red-head alone.

If Ron decided to go blathering to a teacher, Harry could now say that the other boy didn't know what he was talking about, that he must have had a dream or something. Because Ron hadn't acted straight away, any trail of Harry's would be long gone cold now.

Besides, Ron was scared of Harry, he knew that Harry was more intelligent than he was, and he knew that Harry wouldn't be afraid of getting Ron into trouble.

Harry told Fred and George a slightly edited version of what had happened, just in case Ron tried to go to them for support. He didn't think that the twins would believe their younger brother, but he would hate to lose their support.

He told them that Hagrid had need some help with something_ major_, but that he had been sworn to secrecy as to what that something was, and that he had helped him out, though he never mentioned how.

The Twins had both smiled and him and told him that they believed him, and that if their little brother came along, they would act sympathetic, but wouldn't actually _do_ anything about it.

Now it was several weeks later and Harry was sitting in Potions class. They weren't working together today, and Harry was concentrating closely on making his potion work properly. With Snape as a teacher, Harry needed to teach himself as much as possible to stay ahead of the stinging rebukes the Potions Master could give.

He finished the adding ingredients part of the potion and sat back to watch it simmer. When he did this, he noticed trouble. Snape was pursuing his favourite sport, and tormenting Neville.

He was hissing all manner of insults at Neville, who, as a result, could hardly concentrate on his potion and was doing more things wrong.

Harry ground his teeth together in anger, but knew that he couldn't directly interfere, or risk bringing Snape's anger down on himself, which would hardly help matters.

Eventually, Snape turned from Neville, who had sufficiently botched up his potion enough to have earned a detention in which he would have to remake it, as it was now completely spoiled.

Harry's entire body was quivering with rage and he released it the only way he could without getting in trouble. Looking at the board, he lifted the chalk with his mind.

The entire class saw what was happening immediately, and Snape himself turned to watch the chalk rise up into the air and begin to write across the blackboard.

**I am watching you, Snivellus**.

That was it, but Harry knew that it would be enough – Snape would think that _someone_ who had known him before was in the classroom, in the school. In his mind it had to be either Sirius or Remus … and he would naturally think that it was Sirius.

"Out," Snape hissed. "Everyone out. NOW!"

Everyone left immediately, not protesting that now _all_ of the potions would be ruined unless someone got them all of the fires before they were spoiled. Harry didn't think Snape would, but as far as he was concerned, it was worth it.

No one ever caught whoever it was that had written that on the blackboard, and though there was quite a fuss over it for a little while, soon enough it all died down and everything went back to normal.

Harry told the Twins that he had done it, and when they asked why 'Snivellus' he replied that one of his parents had gone to school when Snape had been there, and that they knew the Marauders used to call him Snivellus.

The Twins were both quite awed by the fact that Harry's parents had _known_ the legendary Marauders, and didn't question him any further.

Harry didn't know it, but a certain rat had been listening to the conversation as well. Peter had _not_ been happy when he'd heard about the blackboard prank – he'd thought that Sirius had come for him at last … but now, all was well, the Protectium kid had simply heard the name before and realised that it would have an adverse effect on the Potions Master.

Fears temporarily banished, Peter went back to sleep on the couch cushion and Harry and the Weasley twins moved on.

More time passed and Harry was working harder than ever to prepare for the upcoming exams, along with Hermione, Neville and Blaise.

Blaise reported that Malfoy was extremely angry that he hadn't caught Harry, or Hagrid, before Norbert had been taken away, and she was happy to hear how they had managed to get rid of the dragon in the end.

Eventually, however, Harry _did_ get in trouble, and he _did_ get a detention – he'd managed to avoid getting on detention so far this year … but he knew it had been too good to last.

Sirius had jokingly told him that getting in trouble was very important, but that at the same time, the more pranks you could pull off without being the caught, the better you were.

Harry took his words to heart and did his best not to get in trouble … but he knew he would have to one day … sooner or later. It just so happened to be sooner, and not in the manner he would have expected to get caught in, though looking back, he should have seen it.

In Potions one day, with Snape positively _livid_, since pranks seemed to happen in his first year class more often than in most of his others … and he hadn't yet caught the one to blame, Harry was making his potion, going slowly so as to make sure that nothing went wrong. He felt that he was getting better now, but at the same time, he still wanted to be _very_ careful, just in case.

He had to get up and go to rinse out one of his measures, and when he turned back, he saw Malfoy slouching away from his potion. Harry hurried back towards it, very worried – if Malfoy had been near his potion, nothing good could come of it.

Sure enough, when he reached the potion it was completely the wrong colour. Harry didn't know what Malfoy had put into the potion, but he didn't need to be a genius to know that whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Looking over his potion, he frantically tried to think what was wrong … but he thought too long, and Snape came over to inspect what was going on.

Just as the Potions Master reached Harry's potion, the thing started to bubble furiously and, before anyone could do anything, it had exploded violently.

Everyone ran from the room, several people screaming as the Potion scalded them. Harry had not been worst hit, because he had leapt back with a fighters reflexes … but Snape had not been so lucky.

The result – Harry would be on detention at the time of Snape's choosing, in the manner of Snape's choosing, despite the fact that it was hardly Harry's fault.

A week later, and Snape was obviously trying to come up with something positively evil. Harry wasn't too worried – he'd be able to handle whatever Snape tried to throw at him … but he wanted to make sure that Malfoy got in trouble as well, though he wasn't sure exactly how he'd manage that.

Two weeks after the event and Harry found out that the time was nigh, when an owl bearing a message came to find him at breakfast.

_Your detention will take place tonight, be at the entrance hall at eleven thirty to meet Mr. Filch,_

_S.S._

Harry sighed. He would have to get Malfoy in trouble today if he was going to get him in trouble and on the same day as Harry had his own detention.

"Hey Protectium! Found out what you're doing on detention?" Malfoy yelled out, meaning only to humiliate Harry, but it gave Harry the idea he needed … or at least, he hoped it would.

He went to classes that day, his mind whirring at a hundred miles an hour, thinking, planning … until he thought he was ready.

Harry met up with Blaise that lunch time. "Nemo, you wanted to see me?" Blaise asked, when Harry joined her table in the library.

"Yeah … I want to get Malfoy back for what he did to me in Potions," Harry replied. Blaise had seen what had happened, but hadn't been in any position to stop it.

"And you need my help," she said.

"If you don't mind," Harry said.

"Well, I don't have any problem with helping you get him back," Blaise told Harry, "Tell me what you need me to do."

"I just need you to get him out of the Slytherin common room and into the entrance hall at eleven thirty – that's when I'm supposed to be in the Entrance Hall to meet Filch."

"Any idea what you're doing?" Blaise asked.

"Well, it's obviously not going to be with Snape, otherwise he'd want me down with him in the dungeons," Harry pointed out. "I expect that it'll be in the grounds, in that case."

"What would you be doing on the grounds?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that that's where I'll be," Harry told his friend. "Do you think you can get him there for me?"

"Of course," Blaise replied.

Harry smiled, "Thanks," he said, and they both hurried off to their next classes.

In the common room that night, an owl arrived for Neville, bearing the note that he would be joining Harry for his detention for all the times that Neville had gotten into trouble in Potions himself.

Neville whimpered. "What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"I'm scared of the dark," Neville replied piteously.

"Well, I'll be there with you," Harry pointed out firmly. "It'll be ok."

Neville just shivered. "I wish I was better at Potions," he muttered.

"It's just Snape," Harry assured his friend, "You'd be good if you had a decent teacher."

Hermione nodded in agreement. She'd long ago given up trying to tell them that Snape was ok, and now fully agreed with them. Snape wanted to steal something from Dumbledore, which was simply _not on_, as far as she was concerned.

"It's eleven o'clock now, we'd best head down to the entrance hall," Harry said after awhile. Hermione hugged both him and Neville.

"Take care," she told them. "Don't get hurt."

"We won't," Harry assured her, and then he and Neville turned and headed down to the entrance hall to meet with Filch.

* * *

Next chapter: The Forbidden Forest! This one was getting to be a reasonable length again! The story is now beginning to get there too! Yay!

Thanks to:

Nerwen Elendil, NateP, easilyamused, ERMonkey, Burner of Cookies, katepotter13, Jeanne2, michaelrccurtis, Nicoletta, I-want-to-fly, grand admiral chelli, I-want-to-fly, JeanieBeanie, grand admiral chelli, Lady Siobhan, tish tosh, kraeg001, kraeg001, Empress Sarah-sama, azntgr01, Rawiya Prahbakar, loudmouth, Wytil, shina-schatten, washu, skeeter007, FreedomStar, Nyeshet, Devonny Rose, hermione21, Crissy Potter, blip-dragon, Samara-Morgan-101, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, cyress, Akuma-sama, Surarrin, SnapeLuver666.

WolfMoon


	26. Forbidden Forest

_**After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone**_

Chapter Twenty Six: The Forbidden Forest

Harry and Neville stood shivering in the entrance hall, waiting for Filch to arrive. Harry looked around, keeping an eye out for Malfoy. He spotted the blonde haired Slytherin boy arriving a little while after they did, and marked his position for later reference.

Just before eleven thirty, Filch arrived. "Well, come on," the caretaker said, heading for the doors.

"We aren't going onto the grounds, are we?" Harry asked, knowing perfectly well that they would be.

"You are indeed," Filch replied, glancing at Harry, then turning his full attention to the task of opening the doors. This was Harry's opportunity. Reaching into a pocket, he took out a small stone which he had found earlier that day with this purpose in mind.

When Filch wasn't looking, Harry hurled the stone straight at Malfoy, it hit him on the thy, and he squawked in pain. Filch spun around, and a delighted look crept over his face when he saw Malfoy hopping on one leg in some pain.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" he smiled coldly, "Another student out of bed, when he's no reason to be anywhere but there?"

"It's not what you think!" Malfoy said hastily.

"Oh, I rather think it is ... you'd best come along with us, Mr. Malfoy ... this'll teach you to sneak around after lights out."

"What!" Malfoy yelped.

"You've got detention too, come along, Mr. Malfoy," Filch spat.

"This is all _your_ fault, Protectium!" Malfoy hissed as they walked onto the grounds.

Harry glanced at Malfoy and smiled faintly, "Whatever are you talking about, Malfoy?" he demanded innocently, "_You_ started it by blowing up my potion ... so it's really _your_ fault."

Neville, beside Harry, gave a smile that was almost impossible to see in the darkness – Filch's lamp was quite strong enough for them all to be seen properly.

"Hurry along there," Filch said nastily.

"What are we doing on the grounds?" Malfoy demanded.

"You'll be going into the forest, that's what you're doing out here," Filch smirked. Neville gave a whimpering moan of terror and Malfoy paled. Harry thought back to his conversation with Sirius, and realised that there had been a reason why he had refused to promise not to enter the forest – he had known, somehow, that in the future he would have to.

He didn't give any reaction to Filch's comment, though the caretaker was looking at him as if he wanted to see _something_ on Harry's face.

Harry ignored the look completely, kept his face blank. If they were going into the Forest, so be it. He was now very glad that he hadn't promised Sirius that he wouldn't go into the forest.

Suddenly the door of Hagrid's hut, not all that far away from them now, opened, and warm, golden light spilt out onto the grounds. "That you Filch?" Hagrid's voice boomed out.

"Hagrid's going to be with us?" Neville asked, unable to mask the hope in his voice.

"The grounds are his business, not mine," Filch growled in reply. "And he's welcome to them."

"What's taken yeh so long?" Hagrid demanded, coming out of his house with a large crossbow his hands. "An' I thought there was on'y gonna be two."

"Found another one sneaking around," Filch smirked nastily, "I'm sure he'll learn to behave better if he went with you. Teach him to sneak, it will."

"I'm sure. Well, you clear off," Hagrid said irritably. He didn't like Filch, and made no secret of it.

"I'll be back in the morning ... for what's left of them," Filch replied, then slouched off into the darkness, chuckling nastily.

Hagrid looked after the caretaker with a cold look in his eyes, then he sighed, "Well, we may as well get this over with," he muttered.

"We aren't _really_ going into the forest are we?" Malfoy piped up.

"Sure y'are," Hagrid replied, "Why?"

"My father would have a _fit_ if he knew that I had to go into the forest. Detentions should only be writing lines and stuff like that."

"What good'll writing lines do yeh, huh?" Hagrid demanded, "Nah, ye'll do something useful, of ye'll get out. If you think your daddy would rather you were expelled, then you can get back to the castle and inform Professor Dumbledore of it immediately."

Malfoy gritted his teeth, but didn't leave. Hagrid nodded, "Thought as much," he remarked, then led them over to the edge of the forest. Harry looked about himself with interest; he'd never been this close to the forest at night.

"Now, in all the time I've been in Hogwarts, and I've been here over fifty years now, I've never seen a unicorn hurt ... and only ever seen one of them dead," Hagrid said, "But in the last week I've found tracings of one of them, bleeding, an' later I found it dead, with no blood in it at all ... an' now there's another one, injured."

"How do you know?" Harry asked, interested despite the morbid topic.

"Look," Hagrid replied, raising his lantern and pointed to a patch of something on the ground. Harry looked closely, and saw a shining silver substance pooled there. "Unicorn blood," Hagrid said, confirming Harry's fears. "Pretty badly hurt too, I'd imagine."

Harry looked at the blood. If a unicorn in the forest was hurt, that meant ... "Hagrid, what hurt the unicorns?" he asked.

"Dunno," Hagrid replied, "Bit of a mystery, that is ... but there ain't nothing in that forest that'll hurt ye if ye're with me or Fang – most of the forest knows us."

"What about the thing that did the unicorns?" Harry asked, "Does it know you too?"

"Nah, it wouldn't," Hagrid replied. "Nothin' in this forest would harm a unicorn either ... but whatever it is tha's killin' the unicorns won' want our attention. It'll prob'ly avoid us."

"Probably?" Malfoy repeated, staring at Hagrid.

"If it does come near yeh, Fang or I'll try an' scare it away," Hagrid said calmly, though Malfoy didn't look in the least bit assured.

Harry felt a little nervous himself, knowing that there were plenty of dangerous creatures in the forest, but he trusted Hagrid, who was his friend, and he knew that since it wasn't full moon, it was unlikely that there would be any werewolves about.

"Now, if any o' you lot runs inta trouble while yer in the Forest, shoot up red sparks – yeh'd best practice, just to make sure," Hagrid said, watching as the three students did so. "Righ' an' if yeh find the unicorn, shoot up green sparks," once more they made sure that they could all perform the necessary spell.

"Not far into the forest there's a fork in the path," Hagrid continued, "At that time we'll need t' split inta two groups an' each take a path."

With the knowledge of this separation in mind, the group of four humans and a dog moved into the Forbidden Forest. All too soon they reached the fork. "OK, so we need ta split inta groups now," Hagrid said. "I'll go with one group, and Fang with the other."

"I want Fang," Malfoy said immediately.

"A'right, but I warn yeh now, he's a coward if ever their was one," Hagrid told Malfoy, "Neville, ye'd best go with them. Nemo, you come with me."

Harry nodded, thinking that the expression on Malfoy's face when Hagrid told him that Fang was a coward would have been hilarious in any other situation.

Hagrid led Harry down one path, and Neville, Malfoy and Fang moved down the other. Harry wondered why Hagrid had sent Neville with Malfoy, but it was soon revealed when Hagrid spoke to him again.

"Have yeh had any word of Norbert?" Hagrid asked, and Harry could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Yes," Harry replied, "My uncle dropped him off at a reserve and watched until he was found by the people there. He'll be taken care of."

"Thanks Nemo," Hagrid rumbled, "Ye've really taken a load off my mind."

Harry smiled up at his friend. He had heard back from Sirius only two days before, and hadn't yet had the chance to meet up with Hagrid and let him know what had happened.

"Quiet," Hagrid hissed suddenly, pushing Harry behind him and raising his crossbow. Harry listened intently and thought he heard a rustling of leaves not far away from them. Nothing approached them, however, and the sound was gone almost as quickly as it came.

"What was _that_?" Harry asked softly.

"What's hurtin' the unicorns," Hagrid replied grimly.

"But _what_ is it?" Harry pressed.

"Dunno," Hagrid told him, "Never heard the like of it before now."

"It sounded like _cloth_," Harry informed his friend, "Could it be that it's a wizard hurting the unicorns?"

"If it is, it's an evil one, Nemo. A real evil one," Hagrid replied.

Harry shivered. He wished he was back in the castle. Creatures, perhaps, he could handle. To think that there would be a human who would kill a unicorn was ... unthinkable. Unicorns were pure, and no one who knew anything about them should want to hurt them. When Hagrid had said 'a real evil one', Harry's thoughts had jumped to Voldemort, and he didn't like thinking of the wizard who'd killed his parents.

"C'mon," Hagrid murmured quietly, and together the two of them pressed on. They'd gotten a little way onward when they reached a clearing of medium size. "Stay 'ere," Hagrid told him, and ventured into the clearing, cross bow at the ready.

There was a slight scuffing noise on the other side of the clearing and Hagrid whipped his bow up to point into the gloom, "I know yer there!" he called, "Come out! I warn yeh, I'm armed!"

There was a soft laugh and a figure walked into the clearing, "Would you really shoot me, Hagrid?" it asked, voice a little amused.

"Bane," Hagrid whispered in relief and dropped his bow to point at the ground, "Yeh can't be too careful these days."

"These nights," Bane corrected him, smiling faintly.

Harry, still in the gloom behind Hagrid, drank in the appearance of the new comer with delight. He had heard tales of the half human, half horse Centaurs before, but had never seen one in real life.

Bane had black hair, pale-ish skin, deep eyes and black fur on his horse parts. "I've got one o' the students from the school 'ere," Hagrid said, gesturing for Harry to come out into the light of the moon.

Harry came out slowly. "This here is Nemo Protectium," Hagrid said, "Nemo, that's Bane."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said quietly, still a little awed at seeing one of the mystical creatures first hand.

"Nemo, you say?" Bane said, looking at Harry with those deep, far-seeing eyes, "Are you sure?"

"I'm Nemo," Harry said firmly, "That's my name, and I'm sure of it."

"Really? How interesting," Bane murmured, giving Harry another deep look, before throwing his head back and gazing up into the night sky.

Harry breathed an unheard sigh of relief. The Centaur wasn't going to pull his bluff. That was good – he'd almost forgotten, in his surprise at seeing one, that the Centaurs read the stars. They would know who he really was, and Harry certainly didn't want the Centaur telling Hagrid about that. He wasn't ready to be known for himself yet.

"Have you noticed anything odd, lately?" Hagrid asked the Centaur.

Bane stared at the sky for awhile, and Harry had almost despaired that he was going to answer when he spoke again. "Mars is bright tonight," Bane told them.

Hagrid glanced up at the sky, and Harry did too. "Yeah," Hagrid muttered, "But have you noticed anything _unusual_?"

Again, it took Bane a long time to answer. "Mars is bright tonight. Unusually bright."

Hagrid sighed. "Anything a little closer to home then? Something in the forest?"

Before Bane had much of a chance to answer, there was the sound of more footfalls, and another centaur came out of the gloomy forest and walked to the centre of the clearing.

"Ronan," Hagrid called in greeting.

"Greetings Hagrid," the Centaur replied, walking over to Bane and joining him in looking at the stars.

"Listen, I was just talkin' with Bane here, have you noticed anything strange lately?"

"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan replied.

"So we heard," Hagrid grumbled, "C'mon Nemo, leave those two to their ruddy stargazing."

Harry followed Hagrid out of the clearing, gazing back at the Centaurs, unwilling to leave them behind. He had the idea that 'Mars is bright tonight' had more importance than Hagrid was awarding it.

"_Never_," Hagrid said when they were out of earshot, "Try to get a straight answer out of Centaur. They aren't interested in anything closer than the moon."

"Are there many Centaurs in the forest?" Harry asked.

"Oh, a fair few," Hagrid replied, "Wouldn't know exactly how many, but they're pretty good at turning up when I want a word with them."

They walked on in silence for a little longer, while Harry tried to think what significance Mars, and how bright it was, might have. He wished he'd had some more Divination lessons, but they didn't teach that at Hogwarts for a couple of years yet.

Suddenly, Harry, who'd been looking at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars in the hopes that they would yield up their secrets to him, noted something else, just as important.

"Hagrid! Red sparks!" he said, "Neville's in trouble!" he couldn't care less whether or not Malfoy was in the same situation, or even if it was him who'd sent up the sparks in the first place – it was Malfoy's fault they were all out here anyway ... but Neville was his friend.

"Stay here!" Hagrid said, pushing Harry into the shelter of a large-rooted tree, before crashing off into the darkness.

Harry settled down and shivered. He was alone in the night, in the Forbidden Forest, and there was _something _loose in the forest that was killing _unicorns_. He might not be easy to scare, but this was a _scary_ situation.

He stayed close to the tree, trying not to move, trying not to _breath_, and if he had to breath, then not too loudly. The sounds of the forest were suddenly louder, every snapping twig was a creeping enemy, every rustling breeze was a destructive spell coming straight at him.

But nothing harmed him. Once an odd little creature crept passed his hiding place, then disappeared off into the night. A couple of times bats and owls swooped overhead on their nightly hunting trips, but nothing came near him.

Eventually the others returned and Hagrid was in a high bad temper. From his short, growled sentences, Harry picked up that Malfoy had jumped out of the dark at Neville for a joke and Neville had panicked, sending up the sparks.

Harry, Neville and Hagrid all glared at Malfoy, who looked untouched by their anger. He was back with the group now, and probably thought that he was out of danger.

"I've half a mind to send yeh back through the forest alone till yeh found that path again," Hagrid growled at Malfoy, who's arrogant look immediately changed to one of fear. "If yeh got left out there, well, one up for the world, if yeh asked me ... but we've a job to do tonight ... Nemo, I hate to ask it, but will yeh go back with Malfoy and Fang to find the path and make sure that the unicorn isn't down it."

Harry sighed. "I won't scare as easy as Neville would, sorry Nev, but it's true, so yeah, I guess I'd better go."

Hagrid nodded. "Thanks. Neville and me will continue this way. Fang can follow my scent back to the path, and you two continue from there."

Harry nodded and he and Malfoy set off into the darkness, following Fang in the weak light cast by their wands. Malfoy was subdued, obviously scared of the forest.

Harry didn't think he felt any better than Malfoy looked, but he kept his fear hidden, and tried to will it away, the way that Sensei had taught him. If you let your fear take root, it could control you, prevent you from fighting.

Harry _was_ a fighter, and he was sure that he could do _something_ if they were attacked, maybe keep of their attacker until Malfoy could do something magical, or at least send off sparks.

Eventually they reached the other path and set out along it. Fang snuffled along beside him, oddly comforting, despite the fact that Harry knew the dog was a coward.

Fang suddenly became nervous, and Harry had noticed that the spatters of unicorn blood were growing thicker. He had no doubt that soon enough they would find the unicorn, either dead or severely wounded.

As they turned a corner in the path, Harry lifted his hand, stopping Malfoy. There, glowing faintly silver, was the unicorn, legs splayed, only _just_ alive. As they stood there, the last of its life fled from its body and it went limp.

Then, suddenly, Harry felt a stinging pain in the place where, had he been in his normal form, his scar would have been. He restrained from crying out, but fell to his knees in shocked pain. Malfoy looked at him, then suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream, just as Fang howled out in fear and warning, then took off back down the path.

Malfoy did not hesitate in following and fled as well, leaving Harry alone, kneeling on the ground, watching through a haze of pain as a figure crept out of the gloom and went to the unicorn, it's clothes whispering across the leaves. This was what had killed the unicorn then, Harry realised.

Slowly, the figure knelt and there was a glint of moonlight on steel as it pulled out a knife and made a large gash in the unicorns side, lowered its head and began to _drink_ the blood of the slain creature.

Harry let out a soft sound of pain and disgust and the _thing_ stopped what it was doing and looked up at him, then it got to its feet and started forward, raising a long, thin wand as it approached him.

Every step it took closer to him, the pain in Harry's scar increased, and he curled closer in upon himself, unable to do anything in his own defence.

The thing raised its wand and began to speak, and Harry was sure that he was done for. Then there was the sound of galloping hooves and something was flying over Harry's crouched form, rearing, thrashing at the figure that was so intent upon attacking him.

The figure let out a cry and fled, and the pain receded from Harry's head. He stood up to see what it was that had saved him and saw the third Centaur of his life. The horse parts were palomino and his hair was soft blonde.

"Harry Potter," the Centaur said, looking at Harry.

Harry blinked, "I go by Nemo Protectium here," he replied.

"Really? How intriguing," the Centaur remarked. "My name is Firenze, Nemo."

"What was that thing?" Harry asked the Centaur, who, he thought, was somewhat younger than the other Centaurs he had met.

Firenze did not answer him, instead looking up into the sky for a moment, searching out the stars. "You had better get back to the castle, Harry-who-calls-himself-Nemo," he said instead, after a moment. "The forest is not safe for any human at this time ... least of all you."

"No one knows who I am," Harry told Firenze. "They all believe that I am Nemo Protectium, a child from a family who hid away long ago."

"All the same, there are bound to be those who suspect. Do you ride? You must leave the forest, and riding will prove much faster."

"I can ride," Harry replied, as Firenze lowered himself onto his forelegs so Harry could swing up onto his back.

Suddenly there was the sound of more galloping hooves from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came into the clearing, slowing to a stop on the other side of the unicorn.

"Firenze!" Bane thundered, "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule, to ferry humans around at their leisure? Where is your pride?"

"Do you not realise who this is?" Firenze asked softly, his astonishingly blue eyes focused on Bane.

"Of course we do! How could we not?" Bane rumbled. "But it does not change a thing, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the heavens for ages beyond count?"

Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure that Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said gloomily. "He means no harm ... he is young, and does not know all there is to know, yet."

"His age is not what is at question! We do not concern ourselves with 'the best'," Bane snarled viciously, "Centaurs only concern themselves with the movements of the planets and what has been foretold. _We do not interfere_!"

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze yelled suddenly, rearing so that Harry had to catch his shoulders to avoid falling. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret?"

"Blasphemy," breathed Bane.

"I set myself against what is lurking in the forest, Bane, with humans alongside me if I must. I will not let more innocent lives be taken by this menace!"

With that, Firenze spun around and galloped away, leaving Bane and Ronan behind. The last words Harry heard from Bane where, "We do not set ourselves against the heavens!"

"I'm sorry I got you in trouble," Harry offered, after they had been galloping for some time along the path.

"You did not," Firenze replied, "I have always chafed at Bane's codes, well, they are the whole herds, really ... but I never truly accepted them, and he has never forgiven me for it. He has always said my fascination with humans would lead to my downfall."

"You never answered before, what was that thing back there? The thing you rescued me from?"

"Do you know what unicorn blood is used for, Nemo?" Firenze enquired, evidently now happy to call Harry by his chosen name.

Harry blinked, Firenze was avoiding the question again. Harry decided to humour the Centaur anyway, "We've only used horns and tale fur in our potions this year, but I know it's a monstrous thing to take a unicorns life, and that it's even worse to take their blood ... no one ever told me why though."

Sirius had, in fact, told him that he would know when he was older, and that he would rather not speak of such things at the time. "You are right. It is a monstrous thing to kill a unicorn," Firenze agreed. "Unicorn blood has many properties, Nemo, not the least of which is that it has the ability to keep you alive, even if you are an instant from death ... but there is a catch, and a dreadful one. You have slain something beautiful and pure, simply to save yourself ... from the moment the blood passes your lips, for the rest of your waking hours, you will live a terrible half life ... a cursed life."

"Who would _want_ to?" Harry demanded, "A cursed life doesn't sound like any fun. Who could be desperate enough to do that?"

"Can you think of no one who would gladly kill to save himself, someone who has been trying to become alive for many years?" Firenze asked him grimly.

"You mean ... _Vol_-"Harry began.

"He," Firenze agreed, interrupting Harry.

"Why does he want unicorn blood then?" Harry asked, "If he's been dead for so long-"

"He has not been dead," Firenze interrupted again, "But nor has he been alive."

"Fine, if he's been _undead_ for so long, why change now?" Harry continued, rolling his eyes, despite the fact that Firenze couldn't see him. "He obviously hasn't been killing unicorns all along, someone would have noticed. Hagrid said that they've only turned up dead very recently."

"He just needs to stay alive a little longer, long enough to drink something else. Do you know what's hidden in the castle as we speak, Nemo?" Firenze asked.

"He's after the _Stone_," Harry breathed, and suddenly he had a new priority. "Do you know who's helping him? Any tips on how I could stop him?"

Before Firenze could answer, however, there was a cry of "Nemo!" from up ahead and Malfoy, Hagrid, Fang and Neville came into few, Malfoy sulking at the back of the group.

Hagrid lifted Harry down from Firenze's back. "You should not bring students into the forest Hagrid, especially not at night," Firenze told the man. "If _you_ must enter the forest, come only in the daylight hours – the forest is not safe."

He turned and galloped away, off the path, and Hagrid didn't try to follow, turning instead to Harry to ask if he was OK and what had happened. Harry wasn't going to tell Hagrid what had occurred, he didn't want to say anything around Malfoy. "The unicorns back there," he said, pointing down the path he and Firenze had come along, "It's dead."

Hagrid sighed. "Well, always heed a Centaurs warning ... I'll take yew three up to the castle and cum back to take care of it in the morning," he said.

Harry nodded. With _Voldemort_ creeping around the forest, he would hardly suggest that Hagrid return here any time after the sun had set, and right now all he wanted to do was to get _out_ of this place.

Walk beside Neville, behind Malfoy and before Hagrid, Harry made his way back toward the castle, thinking of what had been occurring that night. He was feeling rather disgusted at Malfoy, for running away at the first sign of danger ... but then, he could hardly blame him. If he could have, Harry himself might have run.

But that was not particularly high on Harry's list of priorities. He was becoming convinced that Snape, who _must_ be working for Voldemort, had sent him into the forest as a trap. Why else would he have waited until Hagrid _had_ to go into the forest to send Harry on his detention? Had the dead unicorns been a trap to lead Harry into?

Harry shook his head slightly, in some ways it made a whole lot of sense, and in others it made none at all. Sure, Snape certainly seemed to want him dead, but why would Voldemort? Unless he thought that because the Protectiums' had fought against him before their son should die ...

Well, he'd run it by Neville and Hermione in the morning, see what they thought about it all. Right now he just wanted to sleep, though he had the idea that the figure dripping silver unicorn blood down its front would haunt his dreams for some time to come.

* * *

Well, look at that! Longest chapter in AGES! 4500 words, in fact! Next chapter will be talking, and the exams. Through the Trapdoor will come after that! The story is really coming to a conclusion now, huh? Once I finis this, I'm going to try and finish Shines A Light, then the next few After the Dawn stories!

WolfMoon


	27. Exams

_**After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone**_

Chapter Twenty Seven: Exams

Harry did talk to his friends in the morning, and while they were concerned over Voldemort being in the forest, Hermione and Neville both remained perfectly happy to think that Dumbledore was in complete control of the situation and the Stone was perfectly safe – after all, what could three eleven-year-olds do that the formidable Headmaster of Hogwarts couldn't?

Hermione remained firmly of the view that they all had to concentrate on the exams, which were almost upon them. Harry, on one hand, thought that she had a point, and on the other was certain that there was _something_ that he could do ... what if Dumbledore _didn't_ know what was happening? What if he was completely oblivious to Voldemort's presence in the Forbidden Forest ...

The worst thing was, Harry couldn't trust any of his thoughts to letters. Sirius was busy doing his own thing, Harry was sure, and he was also fairly certain that Snape could intercept the students mail ... it wouldn't do to let any word of Harry's suspicions reach Snape's ears.

"I don't know what to do!" Harry ranted one day out by the lake. Neville and Hermione were both in the library, studying, and Harry had taken Blaise out into the grounds to train for a while, because he was bored silly with being locked up inside all day.

"At the moment, I think Hermione is right," Blaise said, "Concentrate on getting full scores in your exams and getting into the next year of Hogwarts. That's the important thing _right now_. Once the exams are over, we have a week to confirm our suspicions. At the very least we can tell Dumbledore what's going on."

"But what if something _happens_," Harry fretted.

"Then something happens," Blaise said, "But this castle is safe so long as Dumbledore is here. You know the stories, Dumbledore is the only one that You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. He won't attack while Dumbledore's around."

Harry sighed, "I guess you're right," he said, "But I can't help worrying."

"Just like Hermione can't help worrying about the exams coming up," Blaise teased him. "I'm sure she doesn't completely understand _your_ worry over the stone being more important than studies."

"Blaise, if the Stone gets taken by Voldemort, the wizarding world is screwed. If we fail these exams, we just have to repeat the year," Harry pointed out. He hardly noticed when Blaise flinched at the sound of Voldemort's name – Sirius never flinched, and Harry didn't understand why everyone did now. Sure, Voldemort had been evil, but that was no excuse for _flinching_ every time his _name_ was mentioned.

"And if Hermione had to repeat the year, or worse yet, leave the school, she would probably die, Nemo. She couldn't go back to a Muggle life knowing that she'd seen magic, held it for a moment, then lost it completely just because she failed a test."

Harry shrugged, he hadn't really thought about it that way. He'd been around magic his entire life, and couldn't imagine life without it ... and he knew that even if they tried to snap his wand, he would be able to do magic anyway. Hermione didn't have that option. "Let's go back inside," he sighed, "Maybe as we're studying I'll find some hint of what's to come and get a head start on Voldemort."

"Must you keep saying his name?" Blaise asked plaintively. "It's ... weird."

"Well, if you hang out with me for long enough, it'll stop being weird and start being normal. Then you'll start saying it yourself and you'll realise how silly you were for being afraid of a _name_, of all things."

Blaise gave him a look, as if she didn't believe him in the slightest. Harry only sighed and they walked back indoors. After the incident in the Forest, Blaise reported that Draco Malfoy was acting somewhat subdued, but that his hatred of Harry seemed to have increased greatly.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said as they walked into the library where Hermione and Neville were studying frantically.

"Shush," Hermione said impatiently, and went back to reciting the Werewolf Code of Conduct – just in case it was in their exams, even though Professor Binns had certainly made out like it wouldn't be necessary.

Harry rolled his eyes at Blaise and Neville, and sat down, pulling a book toward him and starting reading about Goblin Rebellions. The book was extremely dull, and Harry reflected that the saddest thing about that was that it was far more interesting than the teacher himself.

Then again, the only bright point of Binns' classes was the fact that he entered the classroom through the blackboard, and after nearly a year of this, it was starting to lose its novelty.

Fred and George had told Harry that Binns never changed. He'd been entering the classroom for years, ever since he'd fallen asleep in front of the fire, and gotten up the next morning to teach, leaving his dead body behind him, and had gone on teaching for many years since.

"No one's too sure _when_ he died, but it was a while ago," Fred grinned at Harry. "And the worst thing about it is, it's really quite hard to prank a ghost. The only thing you can really do is freeze them, and that wears off, and through things at them, which is stupid because it goes right through them. There are only a few ghosts who get emotional about things like that."

Harry had heard what they'd said, and immediately put himself to thinking of a prank that would be possible to play on the dull Professor Binns.

Five minutes after opening the book on Goblins, Harry realised that he'd become caught up in thinking of pranks, and hadn't read a single word. He shook himself and got to studying – after all, the exams were now _really_ starting to creep up on them.

Harry, Hermione, Blaise and Neville studied hard until the sun began set, and dinner time came around. After dinner, Hermione dragged Harry and Neville up to the Gryffindor common room and tried to get them to study more. Soon after, Harry abandoned the other two and went to bed, resolving that he couldn't learn that much by reading words when he was far too tired to pay much attention to what he was reading.

Hermione tried to convince him to stay, and Neville cast longing looks at the stairs to the boys dormitory, as if wishing that he could turn against Hermione's command and go and sleep himself.

"Don't stay up too late, otherwise you'll be really tired in class tomorrow," Harry called over his shoulder, and Hermione nodded. That was Harry's only means of convincing her that she should get some sleep, and it had worked ever since he'd befriended her.

"Think you're so good, don't you," Ron Weasley was up in the dormitory, "Think you don't need to study because you already know it all, don't you?" he was reading a large book on Defence Against the Dark Arts while lying on his bed.

"Not at all," Harry replied, "I just know when to quit."

He went into the bathroom to shower and prepare for bed. He always tried to take two showers, at the very least, each day. When he was on holidays and in his natural environment at Potter Mansion, he showered after every training programme or other physical exercise, because it felt good to get the sweat off his skin. That practice was one that he kept up, even when he didn't do much physical exercise during the day.

When Harry returned to the dormitory, Ron had pulled his drapes closed, but there was still a light coming from behind them, so Harry figured that this was the other boys way of ignoring him.

Well, it wasn't as if he cared. Fred and George were his good friends, and Ron hadn't made himself seem like a particularly good person to have as a friend, though he certainly seemed fairly loyal to Seamus and Dean, who'd befriended him.

Feeling the need for something humorous and thoughtless, Harry pulled out the latest edition of '_Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle_' comic book, which, while funny, was pretty inaccurate. He usually didn't care for the series, but when he was tired and not in the mood to think, he often read the latest escapades, and it did provide a nice change to the text books he'd been reading so much of late.

It did not take long for the need to sleep to overtake reading about Martin's adventures when she wandered right into the Ministry of Magic (never mind that this was an impossible feat).

By the time Neville staggered upstairs, Harry was fast asleep and Ron had fallen asleep with wand still alight, though the light was changing from the pale gold-white it was supposed to be to a sort of sickly green, then blue. Harry would have probably found this a little sad, had he been awake to see it.

The time before the exams flew away, and soon enough they were upon the students. It wasn't just first year, which Harry thought was a bit of a relief. Percy Weasley, the Prefect who Harry also didn't particularly like, had his OWLs, the Twins both had third year exams to sit and the older students, who Harry didn't have much to do with, were taking their NEWTs.

All the first exams were the practicals, and Harry knew that these would be very easy for him – though it didn't help to have Hermione sitting beside him as they each waited for their turn at doing at each task. She would be muttering about different spells that they might need, fretting that they might not have learned them, and wouldn't listen to a word anyone else said.

In Charms, they had to make a pineapple tap-dance across the desk. To get higher marks, Harry charmed lights and music for it to dance to, which Flitwick seemed to think was pretty brilliant.

In Transfiguration, they had turn to a mouse into a snuff-box. You got points for how pretty the snuff box was. Again, Harry was pretty sure he got full marks – if he'd been anyone else, he probably wouldn't have, because his magic didn't seem to want to let him perform the spell, so he made the movements, said the words, then lashed out with Wandless magic to _make_ it do what he wanted. Probably not the best method, but Harry couldn't help it – it was second nature to rely on his Wandless magic when normal magic failed.

The practical exams went by too quickly for Harry's tastes – at least he had a fall back plan if he couldn't remember the spells, after all ... However, he'd been frantically revising everything they'd been taught this year with Hermione, so he was fairly sure he'd do alright.

The only problem, of course, was that he had very little concentrating – thinking that Voldemort would come bursting through the door at any moment kind of did that to a person.

But he did alright, he knew, when he'd finished the exams. It was a relief in more ways than one to put down his quill and stop having to think about different goblin leaders, or the three different ways you could transfigure a small object into another small object. The main relief, however, was that now he could think of what he should do to keep Voldemort away from the Stone. Snape as well, since it was obvious that the man was working for Voldemort in trying to get the Stone.

He wrote a letter to Sirius telling him that he'd gone well on the exams, but that there were problems at school. He wanted his godfather's familiar presence to keep the danger at bay, but at the same time, he wanted to try and handle it for himself, to show himself that he could get by without Sirius there to watch over his every step.

He, Neville, Hermione and Blaise spent a lot of time together in the lazy period after the exams were over, sometimes just sitting, at others practicing, though, with the British summer approaching, there was a lot less practicing going on.

They spent most of their time in the grounds, lolling around near the lake, talking about the Philosopher's Stone and what they could hope to do about it all.

They came to the conclusion that they'd have to talk to Dumbledore about it, but then they were faced with the dilemma of how to find his office. As Harry watched an owl winging it's way toward the castle, he had an idea, "Wouldn't Hagrid know where his office was?" he asked, and so they decided to go and see their friend in his little cabin down by the Forest, though Harry didn't like venturing any closer to the Forest than he had to.

Earlier in the week, the day after the exams were over, Harry, Neville and Hermione had introduced Blaise to Hagrid, and the pair of them had seemed to like each other quite a lot.

When they reached Hagrid's hut, he was sitting outside, in the shadow of the doorway, shelling peas. "Afternoon you four," Hagrid greeted them pleasantly, "How about a nice cold drink, eh?"

"Yes please Hagrid!" the four answered, almost as one, and they moved inside. Hagrid poured them all glasses of chilled pumpkin juice, and they sat around his large table, sipping quietly, each of the visitors wondering how to bring up the subject of the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort, and the need to get to Dumbledore's office and explain what they thought was going on.

Harry noted a charred spot on the bottom of the door, and, not for the first time, wondered how Hagrid had gotten his dragon – there _must_ be more to it than meeting someone down in the pub and finding that the man had a dragon egg.

"Hagrid, how exactly did you get Norbert's egg?" Harry asked.

"I tol' yeh about this already," Hagrid told him.

"I know, but could you tell me again?"

"I won 'im, from a Greek chappie in the pub," Hagrid said, repeating what he'd told them the last time they'd asked.

"Won him?"

"We played cards," Hagrid replied, "I tol' the man I'd always wanted a dragon, and he said he had an egg, and that we could play cards for it, if I liked."

"And of course, you said yes," Harry deduced.

"'Course, I've always wanted a dragon," Hagrid smiled at the memory.

"Did the game seem fairly easy, to you?" Harry enquired, half hoping Hagrid would say no, half hoping he'd say yes.

"Can' quite remember," Hagrid replied, "Fella kept buying me drinks."

"Did you tell him much about Hogwarts?" Harry asked, already realising that Hagrid had made a mistake in taking so many drinks.

"Well," Hagrid said, thinking back, "Musta cum up sometime ... lemme see ... yeah, the fella wanted to know if I'd be alright to cope with raising a dragon – not many people could, yeh know."

"Yeah, I figured," Harry said darkly, remembering the bite he'd received, and thanking the powers that be that Sirius had been around to help out. "What did you tell him?"

"Well, I told him that after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy," Hagrid replied.

"Was he interested in Fluffy?"

"Well, o' course he was. There aren't that many three headed dogs around now a days," Hagrid said.

"What did you tell him?"

"Oh, I tol' him that Fluffy was a piece of cake, just play him a bit of music and he'd go right off to sleep," Hagrid replied, then looked panicked, "I shouldn'ta told yeh that!"

"Forget shouldn't tell us, you told a complete stranger, who was likely a criminal of some sort, exactly how to get past Fluffy!" Harry said. Hagrid looked even more panicked than before.

"I have to go and see Professor Dumbledore ... tell him he should sack me," Hagrid said, and was gone before any of the first year friends could respond.

"We'd better go after him," Harry said, "Tell Dumbledore we think it's Snape under that Cloak, and that we think he's after the Ruby to give to the Dark One."

The 'Dark One' was, predictably enough, Voldemort, but should anyone ask what it was in reference to the cover story, the 'Dark One' was named that because of Voldemort, and the name was based on Sauron from '_Lord of the Rings_,' so that their families could understand what was going on.

Blaise, Neville and Hermione all nodded, so the group quickly tossed back the last of the pumpkin juice, and hurried after Hagrid, who was already half way to the castle.

"We should run," Harry said, "He's way ahead of us, and we don't want to lose him when we reach the castle." Groaning, his friends followed him into a jog which was very uncomfortable in the Summer heat.

Up in the castle, they discovered that they had managed to lose Hagrid anyway, much to their dismay. They wondered around listlessly for awhile, half searching for Hagrid. Harry had never paid much attention to the location of Dumbledore's office on the Marauders map, and had left the map in the common room – by the time they reached it, Hagrid would have left anyway.

"What are you four doing inside on a lovely day like today?" Professor McGonagall asked from behind them.

The foursome spun around, "Professor!" Harry exclaimed, "We need to speak to Professor Dumbledore! It's really urgent!" he wanted to talk to the Headmaster in any case, whether Hagrid was or not.

"I'm afraid you are out of luck, Mr. Proctetium, Professor Dumbledore has left to go to the Ministry of Magic, and won't be back until tomorrow at the very earliest."

"He's left? Now? But he _can't_ have!" Harry said, feeling panic raising inside of him.

"Are you trying to say that you are more important than the Minister of Magic, Mr. Protectium?" McGonagall demanded coolly. "You are only an eleven year old child, and the Minister himself has requested Professor Dumbledore's immediate attention. Go back outside, and contact me about seeing the Headmaster tomorrow afternoon, when he should have returned."

"But!"

"Run along now, all of you," McGonagall interrupted and sent them going with a dangerous little frown. Harry and his three friends went outside and skirted the grounds until they found somewhere private where it was unlikely that they would be overheard.

"The thief will strike tonight," Harry remarked, "And the ruby will be taken to the Dark One, to give him more power than he has ever had before, now that the Protector has been forced away."

His friends nodded grimly. "What are we going to do? The letter was obviously a lure," Blaise said, "And no one else is about to believe that we're telling the truth and do something about it!"

The three thought for awhile, and eventually Harry voiced what was on everyone's mind, "We'll just have to get the ruby before the thief does," he decided.

"But Nemo! That could be dangerous!" Hermione cried.

"Too bad. We _can't_ let the thief take the ruby to the Dark One!" Harry replied vehemently, "If the Dark One gets hold of it ... who knows what will happen?" he couldn't tell them that his scar had been hurting more and more of late, because, of course, they didn't even know that he had a scar, and despite the fact that he had become good friends with the group, as yet he still didn't want to tell them who he was. He liked just being 'Nemo' for them, rather than the 'Boy Who Lived' or any of the crap he'd heard since returning to the Wizarding World. Besides, everyone still thought he was dead.

"How could _we_ do anything like that?" Hermione asked.

"Well, obviously we'll have to make a plan," Harry said, "I'm sure we'll be able to get through _somehow_."

"Nemo, the Protectors probably got the finest defences ever, do you really think a group of eleven year olds could get through to the Ruby?" Hermione demanded, arching an eyebrow.

"As long as I'm with you, I reckon we could do it," Harry said, with a confidence he didn't really feel. Sure, he was a Wandless mage, to some extent, but that didn't mean he could get through everything that would have been done.

"Why you?" Blaise asked with interest.

Harry leaned in closer to them, and, instinctively, everyone else leaned in too. "I never told you, because I don't like to make a big deal of it, but I can do Wandless magic, and I'm fairly good at it ... though it gives me a headache if I try to do too much... If we run into anything really hard, I don't doubt that I'll be able to get us through – Wandless magic doesn't require incantations either."

"So it's been you, writing all that stuff in Professor Snape's classes!" Hermione said, gazing at Harry with wonder.

"Yeah," Harry replied uncomfortably, "I only do it when I really feel like a laugh though ... and that last time was because he was being a greasy git. I made him slip in the court yard too, once."

"I remember that!" Neville said, "But I'm surprised you never told us before."

"Like I said, I don't like to play up on it," Harry shrugged, uncomfortable.

"It's always good to keep a weapon in reserve," Blaise remarked sagely, "So if we can get on from that, what are we going to do about tonight? Like Nemo said, we need a plan of action."

Harry nodded. "OK, so I don't think we can have much of a force. It'll restrict our movements, and make it harder to get through the castle without running into anyone," he didn't mention the Marauders Map – as Blaise said, it was always wise to keep a weapon in reserve.

"I'll stay behind, and make sure no one misses you," Neville volunteered, "I don't know how much of a help I'd be, is all."

"You'd be a great help, but you're right, we should probably have someone holding fort, and if you don't mind Neville," Harry said.

"I don't mind at all," Neville assured him. Harry could see that Hermione and Blaise didn't think that Neville would be much help, but he thought that it could be different – after all, Neville's parents had been great Aurors, the both of them.

"Well, I've got the Invisibility Cloak, so if Hermione and I come down to the dungeons at a specific time, I think we could pick up Blaise and get ourselves to the Third Floor Corridor before it gets too late."

"How about nine?" Blaise suggested. "I could get out before then and hide in one of the broom closets or something. No one would miss me."

Harry nodded, "OK, we'll find a central location for you when we go back to the Castle," he said. "The only thing we know we're going to need is a musical instrument of some description."

"I've got a pennywhistle," Blaise said, "I'm pretty good at playing it too."

"Good, that's settled. Hermione, you and I can over some stuff in the library about Charms, Potions, Transfiguration and Herbology," Harry said, "See if we can get a step ahead of the spells we'll no doubt encounter.

"What about Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Hermione asked.

"If Quirrel made it, I don't think it'll be that hard to get through," Harry replied, a little dismissively. He didn't have a very high opinion of Quirrel at all.

"So, that's agreed?" Blaise asked, and everyone nodded, before heading inside to find an appropriate broom cupboard to hide Blaise in after dinner, until it was time to go to the Third Floor.

* * *

Well, that's that chapter over and done with – they are getting longer, This one was 4000 words long! And the last chapter was, if I recall correctly, longer! Next chapter is 'Through the Trapdoor' – wow, this story is nearly over. It feels as if it's been going on forever! When I finish this story, I'll be moving on to Shines A Light, so In Every Darkness fans can celebrate, their long wait for a sequel is now nearly over!

Thanks:

Surarrin, darkangelgep, Crissy Potter, skeeter001, icedrake1, Nerwen Elendil, NateP, easilyamused, Nicoletta, athenakitty, athenakitty, Rawiya Prabhakar, I-Want-to-Fly, michaelccurtis, azngtr01, JeanieBeanie33, washu, Empress Sarah-sama, Samara-Morgan-101, kraeg001, hermione21, Jeanne2, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, Musicstarlover, sami1919229, Shitza, Shitza, Lady Siobhan, Shitza, Shitza, Shitza, tramp3834, Romm, cyress, Gene, Caitlyn Caro, blip-dragon, uNoeWho, pirate grlEe, da dinkidy dink dink, Silver Scale Serpent, movielvr, prongslives, kraeg001, Shitza, Surarrin, deb-sampson, NateP, darkangelgep, cyress, Churi, madmanhg, grand admiral chelli, SirDarlon, prongslives, tish tosh, Akuma-sama, Tonda, washu, wOlf1e, Nicoletta, Musicstarlover, torifire126, Empress Sarah-sama, Jeanne2, Rebereo, Iroshitaka, JanieBeanie33, Nerwen Elendil, Samara-Morgan-101, michaelrccurtis, Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy, sami1010220, cantfindagoodname, RosieCotten, Akalon, TekNthzpn, Crissy Potter, I-want-to-fly, LupinAndSiriusLover, The REader of Books, blip-dragon, Hermione21.

Well, I suppose that's what I get for not doing thanks last chapter - I did them all this chapter, and they took a long time ... Oh well! You guys all rock!

WolfMoon


	28. Through the Trapdoor

_**After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone**_

Chapter Twenty-Eight: **Through the Trapdoor**

Dinner passed in a blur, and Harry, Neville and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor tower, after seeing Blaise safely to the closet she was to hide in. Professor Dumbledore's absence had not gone unnoticed at dinner, and that had driven home the fact that they would be going after the Philosopher's Stone _alone_ that night.

In the Common Room, Neville, Hermione and Harry lingered around for a little while, then Harry and Neville went upstairs, and, a little while later, Neville returned, apparently alone. "Nemo's worn out after the exams, he's all for an early night," he told Hermione, purposefully letting other people in the warm-lit room overhear their conversation.

"Well, I think I'm all for joining him," Hermione remarked, and she too left the common room. Harry had flown his broom around to the window of the Girl's Dormitory, and picked Hermione up, covering her with the Invisibility Cloak and flying back to the Boy's Dormitory before heading downstairs to tap Neville on the shoulder. "Time," he whispered softly, so quietly that Neville had to strain to hear him properly. As soon as the more timid boy finally understood, he nodded wordlessly, going over to the portrait hole, opening it to look outside.

"What are you doing?" Ron demanded, obviously in an argumentative mood.

"Just looking," Neville commented innocently, "I was wondering if your brothers were in yet, thought they might have been planning something outside again."

"They're upstairs," Ron informed Neville, "in their dormitory."

"Oh, all right," Neville closed the portrait. It was already too late for anyone to do anything about Harry and Hermione, for they had already left, and were heading fast toward to the broom cupboard where they'd left Blaise.

"Hi," she whispered when they reached her.

"Hi," the other two murmured back. "Let's go."

Blaise slipped under the Cloak, and they were off, heading for the Third Floor to try and waylay Destiny. On the outside, Harry seemed calm, collected, knowing exactly what he was doing â€ but on the inside he was quivering with nerves. He knew well the stories that Sirius had told of Voldemort, and was hoping frantically that the Dark Lord, in whatever form, would not be present tonight. He might be able to deal with Snape, if he used every advantage he could possibly find, but Voldemort? What chance did an eleven-year-old stand of beating the most feared Dark Lord of all time?

At the same time, a feeling that Harry knew very well stopped him from turning tail and running back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Courage, and duty.

There was no one else to stand in Voldemort's way, and even though he was scared, oh-so very scared, Harry kept on walking, even though he knew that every step could be taking him closer to his death.

They reached the third floor with minimum fuss, though Peeves did try to stop them once. Harry pretended to be the Bloody Baron, the only person that Peeves was scared of, and thus sent the poltergeist away.

The door to the third floor corridor was ajar – Snape had already gotten past Fluffy then, it was fair to assume. When they walked into the room, a harp was standing before Fluffy, who was growling, a little sleepy, but awake. "I guess he charmed it to stay playing for a short time, and ended the spell once he'd left," Hermione commented softly.

"Doesn't matter," Harry replied. "He's through here anyway. Now it's our turn."

Fluffy turned one of his huge heads towards them and growled, even though he couldn't see them. "Blaise, get out your penny whistle and start playing before we take off the cloak," Harry said, and Fluffy's ears pricked as his other two heads turned on the trio.

A second later Blaise started playing, and Fluffy's heads began to droop, even as he growled warningly at them for venturing into _his_ territory.

"Pity he's been kept in here for so long really," Harry remarked as Fluffy's eyes began to close. "He probably really wants some proper exercise. If they keep him next year, maybe we should offer!"

"Nemo, please do not even suggest such things," Hermione groaned, as Fluffy gave a last growl before curling up and starting to sleep.

The three of them climbed carefully over his paws, Harry and Hermione assisting Blaise, who didn't have the use of her arms or hands as balancing tools. Finally, they made it to the trap door, which had avoided, by a mere centimetre or two, being covered by Fluffy's paw.

Harry reached down and hauled the door open, and the three of them stood over the door and peered down into the inky darkness, which was obscuring whatever was waiting for them below.

Blaise stopped playing for a moment to say, "Dibs on not going first."

Immediately Fluffy stirred and gave a sleepy bark.

"Blaise, he's not in a sleepy mood. I think you'd best keep playing until we've all gone down the trapdoor, you'll have to come last though, you comfortable with that?" Blaise nodded in affirmation, one of her notes faltering slightly but kept a steady pace on her music. "Hermione, you want to go first?"

"No!" Hermione replied vehemently, "Who knows what's down there?"

Harry sighed resignedly, "I guess I will then. Don't follow until I call up the all clear, okay?"

"Right," Hermione replied, and Blaise tilted her head ever so slightly as her breathing started to be more laboured as she struggled to keep the music on an incessant flow. Harry stepped up to the opening and crouched down before backing into the hole and holding on with his hands to look up at his friends.

"If I don't yell, go for a teacher and tell them what's happened. I don't care what you tell them, as long as they know that Snape is after the Stone, to give to Voldemort and he _must be stopped_," Harry told them, then let go before he'd even waited for their response.

He fell for what seemed a long time, and just when he was going to scream, hoping that his friends would get the message and not come after him, he hit something soft and landed with a flump. "It's alright!" he yelled, shuffling a little bit so that Hermione could land easier. "It's a long fall, but there's a padded landing."

A moment later there was a scream as Hermione began the fall. Harry sighed and waited, timing it in his head to see how long she'd take to fall. When she landed, Harry told her to shuffle a little as well, then called up to Blaise to drop.

The music stopped abruptly, and Fluffy growled. Blaise had evidently jumped as well. Blaise didn't scream as she fell, and Harry wondered if she'd timed the fall, going by Hermione's as well.

Then, she flumped into the plant beside them. "Hi," Harry said cheerfully. "Good thing this plants here really, softens the landing."

Blaise, however, was struggling to her feet and away from the plant, and Harry suddenly realised why she had had to struggle – the plant was tightening its tendrils around them. They were trapped.

"Devils Snare," Hermione moaned. Harry immediately set about remembering where he'd heard the name before, but while his body was panicking about being trapped, it wasn't easy.

"Hermione, don't try to struggle," he told her, "That will just make it tighten faster."

Hermione gulped audibly in the darkness. "Can anyone remember _anything_ about Devils Snare?" Blaise demanded.

"It likes the dark and damp!" Hermione and Harry cried together, both delighted that they'd remembered something would now save their lives.

"In which case, you'll need to light a fire," Harry remarked. "Pity you're trapped Hermione, you like making blue fire."

"I know how to anyway, so it doesn't matter," Blaise put in, "_Incendio!_" A jet of blue flames came out of the darkness, illuminating Blaise, and the plant that had been trying to kill them. Its tendrils were withering fast, and as they withered, Harry and Hermione were able to pull free.

"Thanks Blaise," Harry said, smiling at her in the blue-tinged darkness.

"You could have done it yourself, though, couldn't you?" Blaise asked. "Light the fire, I mean."

"I could have," Harry answered reluctantly, "but I'd rather leave everything possible to you, unless I can do my magic with a wand. I want to keep my other magic in reserve for later, if I really _need_ it."

Hermione and Blaise both nodded in understanding. "So, lets move on, shall we?" Harry suggested, and they nodded, moving into the corridor that led on to whatever the next obstacle would be.

"What's that noise?" Hermione asked, and her two companions tuned in.

"Sounds like â€ fluttering," Blaise said, "Doesn't really sound like ghosts, does it?"

"Feathered wings," Harry said. "It sounds like wings."

"You're right," Blaise agreed, "Sounds just like the Great Hall in the morning."

Hermione nodded. "Birds then â€ what will have to do with _birds_?"

"Dunno. We'll have to get there. Maybe they'll try and swoop us or something," Harry said offhandedly. "Birds can be pretty dangerous you know."

"I got swooped by birds once," Hermione said. "It was pretty scary."

"But what does that have to do with Transfiguration, Charms and all that?" Blaise asked. "If you ask me, there'll be more to it than swooping birds."

"Maybe," Harry said, tilting his head as he considered the option. "But we'll find out when we get there."

A short time later, they came upon a door. The sound of wings was stronger now. "Through this door, we'll find the birds," Harry remarked, unnecessarily. "You two stay back, I'll run out ahead and see if I can make it to the other door, ok?"

Hermione and Blaise both nodded, and Harry pushed the door open and started running. Overhead he heard the sounds of the bird's wings, and at any moment he expected for sharp beaks to rain down upon him â€ but they never did.

He made it to the other door and turned to look up. Above him circled a large flock of birds, all with brilliantly coloured wings and glistening bodies. They made for an exotic site.

Hermione and Blaise joined him quickly, walking across the chamber, rather than running. While he waited for them, Harry examined his surroundings. "Brooms," he remarked, nodding to a corner of the chamber. The birds, because they were not attacking, were momentarily banished from his mind. "Wonder what they are for."

"Maybe the key is up at the top of the chamber," Hermione suggested, "And the birds won't attack until we're in the air."

Harry looked up again, and cursed aloud, Hermione and Blaise immediately turned to look at him. "I feel stupid," Harry remarked. "The key isn't hidden at the top of the chamber, to be protected by the birds â€ the key is _one_ of the birds!"

Blaise and Hermione looked up, and they laughed at their stupidity as well. "Of course!" Blaise laughed. "So, we have to catch the key," she sobered, "But there's a lot of keys up there, how are we going to find the right one?"

"I'm a Seeker," Harry said, "I can often see things that others miss, I should be able to find the key â€ I just need you two to support me."

Hermione and Blaise both nodded, and Harry turned to look at the door that would lead them on, examining the keyhole. "I would suppose that the key would be like the keyhole, old fashioned and fairly ornate," he remarked. "I should be able to find it â€ in any case, it's been caught once before, and should be a little bent, I expect."

The three of them went over to the brooms, and Harry selected the one that looked to be the fastest – as the one who would actually be _catching_ the key, he figured he'd need the extra speed.

Flying up amongst the keys, Harry was hardly surprised, though he was a little daunted, when they immediately sped up and started whirling around the chamber at amazing speed.

Harry flew immediately into the thick of things, and started searching around the swirling flock to find the key he was after. It took him some time, but after awhile he found it. It was old looking, with bright blue wings that were scrunched on one side.

"There!" Harry said, one hand following the key so that his friends could find it, "It's bright blue and has a scrunched wing on one side."

Hermione and Blaise both went to after it. "Wait!" Harry said, "Hermione, you come at it from below, Blaise, come over behind me and up above, then come down on it – it'll dodge you both, but don't worry. I'll go straight for it from this side and catch it – I hope."

Blaise and Hermione nodded, moving quickly into the position, as the key was moving fast as well, and they didn't want to lose it. "Now!" Harry yelled, and the three of them immediately moved. Blaise came down from above, Hermione came from below, and Harry raced straight down the centre.

As he'd predicted, the key dodged both his friends, but Harry was on its tail, racing toward the wall, the key ahead of him. It turned, just before reaching the wall, and started to head upward, but Harry slammed into the wall, his hand over the key, pinning it to the wall.

It struggled feebly against his fingers as he closed them around it and headed for the ground. The flock still had not calmed, and Harry wondered, for a moment, if he'd found the wrong key. But then he decided that this was probably the exact reason that nothing was happening to the flock above – it wouldn't stop moving until all the keys were up there, and the brooms on the ground, just so as the one who caught the key wouldn't know if it was the right one or not.

Hermione and Blaise landed beside Harry. "That was some catch," Blaise told him, "Some flying too, for that matter."

Harry smiled, "Thanks," he replied, "Now lets see if it paid off!" Holding the still struggling key tightly, he inserted it into the lock, and turned it. There was a click, and above them all of the keys stopped moving suddenly.

Harry pushed the door open, and then released his key, which flew quickly up to join the flock. The winged keys flew around in a leisurely fashion, once more calm.

Ahead of them lay darkness, and Harry looked back at his companions.

"Ready?"

* * *

Sorry about the wait – I've been away from the net all weekend, and fell asleep at 4:20pm yesterday, not waking up until now (twelve hours later). I'm not going to do the thanks this chapter because a) I'm still a little tired and b) I just wanna post! **For those of you interested, Shines A Light (the sequel to In Every Darkness) has now begun!**

WolfMoon


	29. The Man With Two Faces

_**After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone**_

Chapter Twenty Nine: The Man With Two Faces

Harry stared into the blackness, willing something to appear to him, but nothing did. When his companions nodded that they were ready, they stepped together into the next room. The moment they entered the room the door behind them closed, and there was a rather ominous click as the door locked. They were trapped here – there was nowhere left for them to go bar forward.

At the same time that the door closed and locked, fires spread around in a giant square, illuminating the room. Harry quickly realised that it was not an ordinary room – "It's a chess board!" he said, amazed. The chess pieces were _huge_, towering above him, making him feel very small in comparison.

"One of the few times Ron Weasley would be useful," Hermione remarked, "Idiot that he is, he's a great chess player, not even I can deny that."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Well, I'd rather be stuck here with you guys than with him," he said. "And even if none of us are all that fantastic at Chess, we can try and get through this thing! Do either of you know much about it?"

Hermione shook her head. "Pretty much all I know are the various pieces, which directions they move in, and the rules that apply to moves," she replied. "I've never played a game in my life – at home we play cards more often."

"Blaise?" Harry asked.

"I know a fair bit. I've played quite a lot, and while I'm not brilliant, I'm not horrible either."

"I only know a bit," Harry said, "I've played once or twice, and lost every time I did. So Blaise, I think it's your call."

Blaise nodded slowly. "Right," she murmured. "We obviously have to play the game ... but white moves first, and we're black, so why hasn't the other side done anything? Do we have to play that side as well? Because that seems really stupid."

Harry had been wondering the same thing himself, and now he had a look at the board again. "I think I know what we have to do," he said, "But I don't like it – not one bit."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"We have to take the place of the chess pieces," Harry replied, "And play our way across the board as _part_ of the game."

"But we can't! What if we have to get taken?" Hermione yelled, a note of panic evident in her voice.

"I said you wouldn't like it," Harry pointed out. "But if we want to stop Voldemort, and Snape, then we have to get past this! There isn't any other way. I don't think that we'd get _killed_ if we were taken, anyway, probably just knocked out for awhile."

"Oh, that's really comforting," Hermione muttered. "Besides, wasn't this place supposed to protect the Philosopher's Stone? If that was the case, shouldn't you be able to die in here?"

"No," Harry replied firmly, "We won't die. Someone is trying to steal the stone, I expect that Nicholas Flamel wants to know _why_ they want it. And anyway, if we don't stop Snape taking the Stone, Voldemort will take over and kill everyone anyway."

Hermione shuddered and then nodded.

"OK, Nemo, you're the one that really need to have get through this, right?" Blaise said, and Harry nodded unwillingly. He certainly was the one who was most likely to be able to stop Snape – he had Wandless magic on his side, and with that, the element of surprise. "In that case, you're going to be our king," Blaise said decisively.

Harry sighed. Well, facing Voldemort meant not risking himself too much – then, to their surprise, the great black King shook it's head. "I thought think that's allowed," Harry remarked thoughtfully. "I guess you have to take risks in order to win."

Blaise sighed, "In that case, you take a Rook," she told him. "I'm going to be the Queen, Hermione, you take the Knight."

Everyone nodded, and the black King nodded his approval, while the three pieces named moved off the board.

Blaise insisted that Harry shouldn't move from where he was on the board, because they didn't want him in any danger, though the two girls walked around the giant board to attack the other side.

The only move that Harry was permitted to make was to Castle, and that was only to place him under better protection.

The game progressed agonisingly slowly as Blaise thought out every move she was about to make before doing anything – she didn't want to get anyone hurt by accident.

On several occasions, Hermione and Blaise were both in danger of attack, and Harry had to yell advice from his position behind three pawns which were almost twice his height.

Finally, Blaise sighed. "The only way to win this game," she said, "Is for either me or Hermione to get taken. We've lost too many pieces for me to guarantee winning if we didn't do this."

Hermione blanched, just as Blaise said, "I'm going to get taken."

"It should be me," Hermione disagreed. "You've done a great job of getting us through the game so far. I'll do it."

"No. If I'd been better at chess, I'm sure neither of us would have had to be taken," Blaise replied, and moved before Hermione could protest any further.

Hermione screamed when the white queen came and bashed Blaise over the head, and the Slytherin girl staggered lifelessly to the ground. "Hermione, you have to move!" Harry yelled from his place on the board. "You have to take the King!"

Sobbing quietly, Hermione did as Harry had told her. Either her or Blaise had been in a position to be taken, and whichever of them had been taken, the other could have check-mated the King.

The white king threw his grown on the ground as Hermione moved into the check-mate position, and the statues went still again. Harry raced from his place to go to Blaise, and Hermione joined him.

"She's alive," Harry said, checking the pulse. "But we have to go on – _now_."

Hermione nodded shakily, and together the two of them moved passed the ranks of white pieces and to the doorway which was situated behind the White king.

With a last look back at Blaise, Harry and Hermione pushed the door open and walked into the next room.

The moment they entered, they were nearly overwhelmed by a disgusting smell, and, looking around the room, it was difficult to miss the cause of it – a troll was lying on the floor, completely knocked out.

"At least we don't have to deal with it," Harry remarked, as he pulled Hermione around the trolls legs. She was staring at it in terrified fascination – she was obviously scared of them after what had happened earlier that year.

This troll, however, was a lot bigger than the troll that they'd faced earlier, and Harry wasn't sure how good their chances would have been at facing this one and coming out alive and well.

He and Hermione were both very glad to get through the next door, but Harry froze when flames raced up from the floor the moment that they passed the threshold, baring their way back. Ahead, on the other side of the chamber, the same thing happened to the door onward.

"Great," Harry muttered. "I'm guessing that this is Snape's test – he must have made it through here in seconds! Who knows if he hasn't already taken the Stone and gotten out of here?"

"We have to hope that he hasn't," Hermione replied. "And get past here as quickly as we can so that we can put a stop to his plan! You said it yourself, we _can't_ let Voldemort return to power!"

Harry nodded. "So, what do we have to do?"

Between them and the door onward was a table with seven bottles on it, all of which were in varying sizes and shapes. In front of the bottles was a piece of paper, which Harry and Hermione hastened forward to read.

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind._

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to remain here for ever more,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide,_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Forth, the second from the left and the second from the right_

_Are twins you taste them, though different at first site._

"Logic," Harry said quietly, meeting Hermione's eyes over the piece of paper. "Well, it's better than it might have been. We might have had to make some obscure potion or something ..."

Hermione nodded. "Well, let's see if we can work it out," she said calmly, and the two of them read over the paper and then paced up and down the lines of bottles, muttering to themselves.

Finally they came together at the centre of the line and nodded to one another. "The small one will take us forward," Harry remarked, and Hermione nodded.

"The round bottle will get us back to Blaise," she finished.

"There's only enough for one person to go on," Harry pointed out. "So I guess our ways part here."

Hermione hugged him tightly. "Nemo, be careful," she told him.

"Hermione, once you go back, revive Blaise, and go to the Owlery. Send an owl to Dumbledore so he knows what's happened, then go to McGonagall's office and tell her where I am. That way, if I fail, she can get the students out in time. Since the troll was knocked out, we can _prove_ that there was someone down here before us, and their intentions can't have been good ... don't tell her it was Snape though, not just yet."

Hermione nodded, then hugged him again.

Harry gently untangled her arms. "I'll go first, shall I?" he said. There were tears in Hermione's eyes as she watched him, and Harry realised that she was wondering if she would ever see him again after this. It struck him then, that Voldemort might kill him – if he was with Snape to get the Stone.

Well, whatever the case, he had to go on anyway. Just because he might die was no reason to shy from his duty, which was to protect the Wizarding world from Voldemort.

He picked up the smallest bottle and downed it's contents in a single swallow. He shuddered as the liquid slid down his throat like a coat of iced-oil.

"It's not poison, is it?" Hermione asked, and Harry shook his head.

"It's just nasty," he replied. "We _knew_ it wasn't poison, Hermione. We figured out what the riddle meant. I'll see you in a little while." _I hope_, he finished his sentence in his head, so as not to alarm Hermione any more than he obviously had already.

Before Hermione could hug him again, Harry turned and walked through the black fire that barred the entrance to the final challenge – the one that Dumbledore had created. He knew that he would find Snape here, and the final battle for the Philosopher's Stone would occur.

When he walked through the door, however, it was not Snape he saw, but someone else entirely, someone he'd never imagined to see here, but who now made a suspicious kind of sense.

"You," he hissed.

---

I was going to leave it there – but since it's a cliffy in the original story, I thought it was unnecessary, and the chapter is short so far anyway, so I'm going to end it somewhere else instead :)

---

Professor Quirrell spun around to face him, an expression of slight surprise on his face which might have been comical, if Harry had been thinking of such things. Right now, he was just too surprised.

"Protectium!" Hissed Quirrell, not seeming all that surprised to see someone here, but evidently not expecting Harry. Quirrell suddenly snapped his fingers and Harry felt ropes come from mid air and wind their way around him, binding him where he stood. "Well, at least you aren't Severus ..."

In that instant, Harry knew that he'd gotten it all wrong. Snape hadn't been trying to _steal_ the Stone – he'd been trying to protect it from the real thief, Quirrell.

"But – why you?" Harry asked. He had realised quickly that Quirrell couldn't have the Stone yet, or he'd be long gone – the shock of finding Quirrell wore off very quickly. There would be time to be shocked later, when he and the Stone were safe. "I thought _I_ was going to find Snape down here."

"Yes, Severus did make my job noticeably easier, swooping around the castle and poking his nose in everywhere," Quirrell murmured. "Next to an overgrown bat like him, who would have suspected me? P-poor st-stuttering P-professor Quirrell!"

Harry thought quickly, how could he get Quirrell's attention on him? "Didn't Snape try to kill me at the Quidditch match?"

"No, of course not," Quirrell replied. "He was protecting you. I was given orders to see you dead – orders that I will fulfil tonight, I assure you ... just as soon as find the blasted Stone!"

"Orders?" Harry was actually interested now. Someone wanted him dead. "Orders from whom?"

Suddenly a flaring pain shot across his scar. "Orders from my master," Quirrell told him.

"Voldemort," Harry said, easily putting two and two together.

"Do not say his name!" Quirrell spat, "You are not worthy of it!"

Harry sneered. "I'll say his name all I like. So, you are trying to get the Stone for him. I was right about that, at least."

Quirrell spun around to face him. "You knew my master was here?" he demanded.

"I saw him in the Forest," Harry replied coolly. "I knew him for who he was."

"It was me you saw," Quirrell told him. "Protecting my master, keeping him alive."

"How would you-"

"Enough!" Quirrell snapped. "Be silent while I work out this riddle ... the Mirror ... I look into it and I see myself with the Stone, presenting it to my master, but where _is_ the Stone?"

Harry looked around Quirrell and realised with a jolt that the Mirror of Erised was behind him. He kept silent, if Quirrell didn't know what the mirror was, Harry was hardly about to tell him.

The mirror showed whatever your desire was, Harry remembered. If he looked into the mirror, perhaps he'd see where the Stone was. It was what he wanted the most at the moment, to find out where the Stone was, so that he could lead Quirrell away from it.

Using his Wandless magic, Harry loosened the ropes that bound him and edged sideways, trying to get a proper look in the mirror. He sighed – it was impossible. He would have to get to where Quirrell was standing at the moment if he wanted to see into the Mirror.

"Master," Quirrell muttered, "Help me to help you, please Master."

Harry wondered how Quirrell thought that Voldemort was going to help him here, in the bowels of Hogwarts. To his astonishment, however, a voice spoke. A voice that seemed to come from Quirrell himself.

"_Use the boy_."

Harry's eyes widened, and in a second he'd once more done some addition. Quirrell always wore the turban, Harry's scar had been hurting often of late ... Somehow, Voldemort was _possessing_ Quirrel, and the turban had to be concealing something that would show that to the world.

"Yes, of course. Protectium, come here," Quirrell ordered, and suddenly the ropes went completely slack. Harry walked over to Quirrell without being told to – he was going to given the opportunity to look into the mirror. He would hopefully find out where the Stone was, and then he could lie to Quirrell to make sure that the man would never find it.

Standing in front of the mirror, Harry looked into it. For a moment, all he saw was his own reflection, then suddenly the mirror was filled with the faces of many people, and Dumbledore appeared beside Harry, holding a blood red stone in his hands.

Dumbledore handed the reflection-Harry the Stone, and reflection-Harry smiled at real-Harry, and put the Stone in his pocket. Harry felt a sudden weight against his leg, and his reflection winked at him, before the reflection went completely blank.

"What do you see, Protectium?" Quirrell demanded.

Harry kept looking at the mirror, as if he was still watching something in there. "I can see my family, walking proud in the centre of the Wizarding world, no longer needing to hide," he said softly, "and my friends with me, all of us are smiling."

Quirrell cursed and pushed Harry away from the mirror. Harry reached into his pocket, once he was sure that Quirrell wasn't paying attention to him any more, and touched his fingers to the Philosopher's Stone.

He placed all of his attention on the Stone, and called to his magic, feeling it rushing to answer his call, stronger than it had ever been before – good. He'd need all the extra power he could find if he was going to get the Stone away.

"_He lies!_" the voice – Voldemort's voice, Harry was sure – spoke again, and Quirrell spun back to face Harry, an angry gleam in his eyes.

Harry finished the silent, Wandless spell, and suddenly the Stone was gone from his pocket. Good. Without the Stone to worry about, Harry would be able to concentrate on getting _out_ of here – or staying alive until help came.

"Protectium!" Quirrell spat, reaching for Harry again. "Stand in front of the mirror again, tell me what you see!"

Harry allowed himself to be pulled forwards and looked into the mirror, before repeating his story in a bored tone, as if he didn't understand why Quirrell was making him do this again.

"Master?" Quirrell asked.

"_He lies still_," the Dark Lord hissed.

"What should I do, Master?" Quirrell asked, softly.

"_Let me speak to him, face to face_," the Dark Lord hissed softly.

"But Master..."

"_Do it! Fool!_" Voldemort snarled.

Quirrell reached up and started unwinding his turban. Harry knew, then, that on the back of Quirrell's head must be the Dark Lord's face. Otherwise, why would Voldemort have claimed that he wished to speak to Harry _face_-to-face?

When the turban was gone, Quirrell turned around, so that his back was to Harry. Even though he had been expecting it, the reality of Voldemort's face made Harry nearly retch in disgust, and in a certain amount of fear.

Dead pale skin, lipless mouth, slitted, snake-like nostrils and horrible blood red eyes ... it was a face constructed of his worst nightmares.

"You have the stone, don't you, little Nemo?" the lipless mouth moved, forming words spoken in a cruel tone.

"No," Harry replied, truthfully.

The Dark Lord blinked, as if surprised. "Well, you have the sense to stop lying to me, at least," he hissed softly. "You know where the Stone is, don't you?"

"No," Harry replied again. Again, he wasn't lying, as such. He had sent the Stone back to it's owner, but he didn't know where Nicholas Flamel lived, therefore he didn't know where the stone was.

Again, the Dark Lord seemed a little taken aback. "You _had_ the Stone, didn't you?" he demanded, as if trying to make sure of something he had thought that he _was_ sure of.

"No," Harry repeated.

"Ah, you lie again," Voldemort murmured. "You had the Stone, but you don't have it now, and you do not know where it is ... very well. Kill him."

Quirrell turned suddenly to face Harry, who drew himself up proudly. He did not want to die, but if death was coming to him now, he would face it courageously.

Quirrell advanced toward him, raising a hand.

Harry watched Quirrell advance, his mind racing, searching for anything that would help him, but he found little. His wandless magic was almost gone, there was not nearly enough of it to defend himself against something that Quirrell threw at him. Harry didn't know what he could do – but he knew that he had to do something. The Stone was safe, now he had to get himself somewhere safe as well ... but that was, unfortunately, easier said than done.

He thought of all the spells he'd learnt at Hogwarts this year, but he didn't think that any of that stuff would help him here. Then he realised what he could do, and cursed himself for a fool.

Quirrell lowered his hand to point at Harry and began invoking some form of a spell. Knowing that he could not allow Quirrell to cast the spell, Harry threw himself forward, darting straight toward Quirrel, and lept lightly into the air and lashed out with a foot, catching Quirrell painfully in the stomach.

His opponent doubled over in pain, gasping for breath. The spell was stopped, but there was still a battle to be fought. Quirrell dragged himself to his feet and lunged at Harry. Harry dropped to the ground and caught one of Quirrell's wrists, helping his former teacher of his shoulder to land painfully face first on the ground behind him.

Quirrell gave a shriek of pain, even before he had landed, and Harry spun around, stepping back a few steps to watch as his enemy rose to his feet, holding the wrist that Harry had grabbed.

Harry stared in amazement, the place where his hand had closed around the flesh of Quirrell's wrist was raw red and burned, as if Quirrell had thrust his hand into a burning fire.

"What magic is this?" Quirrell moaned, clearly asking his master. Harry would have been interested to find out himself, because he knew that he had not done it ... at least, not intentionally. But it was where his skin had touched Quirrell's ...

To test his sudden theory, Harry danced forward on light feet again, and grabbed Quirrell's other wrist. Quirrell shrieked again, and Harry saw, with some amazement, that the burned skin was slowly creeping away from where his skin touched Quirrells.

Suddenly, in a burst of strength, Quirrell lashed out and threw Harry off him, ropes once more leapt out of mid air to bind Harry, and he immediately started trying to undo them, but every time he reached for his magic, his head ached.

Quirrell walked slowly over and stared into Harry's eyes, while a voice screamed, "_Kill the boy_!" Harry looked calmly back into Quirrell's face. Death was coming, but he would meet it face on and unflinching.

To his surprise, he suddenly felt as though he was accessing his Wandless magic – differently to how he had used it before, and he certainly wasn't doing it of his own choice ... but he was doing some sort of spell.

He saw Quirrell's face changing somehow, heard Voldemort's screams grow louder, more insistant, but his magic was drifting away from him, and with his magic leaving him, a dark void beckoned him.

Somehow no longer concerned, Harry let himself go and plunged into the blackness, letting it surround him, and somehow feeling safe.

* * *

Redone version of this chapter – added ending.

WolfMoon


	30. The End of the Year

_**PLEASE READ END OF LAST CHAPTER, I HAVE ONLY JUST REALISED THAT SOMEHOW PART OF THE LAST CHAPTER WAS LOST, OR PART OF THIS ONE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE IT WENT. PROBABLY GOT LOST IN ALL OF THE MOVING AROUND OF THINGS I DO WHEN I'M WRITING. ANYWAY, THE BATTLE SCENE WITH QUIRRELL AND HARRY IS AT THE END OF THE LAST CHAPTER – PLEASE READ!**_

_**After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone**_

Chapter Thirty: The End of the Year

Harry felt himself surrounded by what felt like a warm, fuzzy blanket, and there was a comfortable weight resting against his left leg. It was a nice change from the blackness he'd been floating in for what seemed like forever.

His whole body felt heavy, and he didn't want to move ... but he had to move. Voldemort was going to steal the stone, and Harry had to stop him! He had to warn someone that Voldemort was in Hogwarts!

With some difficulty he managed to open his eyes, and saw above him the Golden Snitch. He had to catch that – if you caught the Snitch... well, you would win the game! He just had to reach out and enclose it within his grasp...

He tried to move, but found once more that he couldn't – that's right, Quirrell had tied him up ... but if that was the case, what was a Snitch doing in the hiding place of the Philosopher's Stone...?

Harry blinked, and suddenly the small golden Quidditch ball became a pair of gold spectacles. How very odd. They were even less likely to be here, with him now. Harry's eyes flickered again, and the gently smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view.

It was then that Harry realised, he wasn't lying on hard stone, but rather on a soft bed. Instead of being confined by ropes, he was very firmly tucked in white silk sheets. Though everything was a little blurry, it dawned on the eleven-year-old that he was in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.

"Ah, Nemo! Delightful to see you awake at long last," Dumbledore beamed at him.

Something about that sentence bugged Harry, but he pushed that to the back of his mind as he remembered where he had been moments ago. "Sir! Professor Quirrell! He's after the Philosopher's Stone! He wants to give it to Voldemort so that the Dark Lord can regain his power!" Harry said, all in one breath, his voice rusty through disuse.

"Relax, Nemo. The Stone is safe and Quirrell is no more an issue for anyone," Dumbledore said, laying one hand on Harry's shoulder. "You are, I think, a little behind the times, though that is only to be expected. You have, after all, been unconscious for just over two weeks."

Harry blinked once, "Two weeks?" he repeated.

Dumbledore smiled slightly at that. "Yes, Nemo, two weeks. It was an admirable thing that you did, down in the dungeons, and I must say, for an eleven year old, your actions were ... both unusual and remarkable. Though they have left you rather drained, I'm afraid."

"What happened? After I passed out, I mean?"

"Well, there's something remarkable in itself," Dumbledore murmured. "But before I get there, I think I'd better start at the beginning ... or the beginning of that day, at least.

"As Professor McGonagall has told me you're aware of, I was summoned to the Ministry of Magic, however, when I reached the Headquarters, I quickly realised that the place I should have been was here, so I came racing back, not sure what might have occurred in my absence.

"Your friends, Miss Zabini and Miss Granger, sent me an owl the moment they could, and we met mid air, not far out of Hogwarts, in fact. I raced to find you, and arrived just in time to see you go limp. I was amazed, however, to note that Professor Quirrell did not try to harm you. He looked up and saw me and then said, 'What have I done', sounding more than a little mystified.

"Then, to my astonishment, I heard a second voice, saying '_Fool! Kill the boy_!' and then Professor Quirrell started muttering that he couldn't, that he couldn't bring himself to harm you. Suddenly he gave a scream, and fell over you, dead. A black shadow left his body and fled the room ... I then brought you, and him, up into the hospital wing. Professor Quirrell has since been buried."

"The black shadow was Voldemort," Harry said softly, thinking of something else entirely. "He was partially possessing Quirrell, I think."

His mind, however, was on what he knew of the House Elf Kreacher. He knew that Kreacher absolutely hated Sirius, and that Sirius had told him many times of the first time that Kreacher had seen him.

Kreacher had looked into Harry's eyes and from that moment forward had seemed to be Harry's devoted servant, seeing to his every need, though still hating Sirius. He also remembered the feeling of his magic starting do something that he hadn't told it to do.

"Can you tell me anything?" Dumbledore inquired of him suddenly. "There are a lot of unsolved mysteries at the moment, one of the most important of which is that the Stone was gone from the mirror when I checked, and not much longer after I got you up here, I received an owl from my good friend Nicholas, informing me that the Stone had appeared on his dinner table when he and his wife sat down for their meal."

Harry smiled slightly, "Well, that was me," he said, "I can use Wandless magic, you see. When Quirrell made me look in the mirror, the Stone turned up in my pocket, and I knew that I had to get it away from here, since Quirrell wanted it for Voldemort. I used my magic to send it to its owner, Nicholas. I'm glad that it got there. What's he going to do now? Since both Hogwarts and Gringotts have failed to protect it?"

"What gives you the idea that it was in Gringotts?" Dumbledore asked.

"I was there the day that a vault was robbed, and I remember seeing Hagrid there, talking about the 'you know what'. I put two and two together," Harry replied.

"Oh, well done!" Dumbledore said, seemingly elated that Harry had figured out so much. "But back to your own question ... Nicholas and his wife have destroyed the Stone. They have enough of the Elixir of Life to set their affairs in order, before death finally takes them, as it will us all."

Harry nodded slightly. "I see," he said, softly. "The end of term is nearly here, I suppose?"

"Yes, actually, the end of term feast is tonight. I will make sure that Poppy releases you in time to attend... by the way, your friend Ardeo turned up about a week after all this happened, and has not left your side since ..." Dumbledore said. "Your friends will doubtless come and tell you more of what has been happening around Hogwarts while you've been out of it."

With that, the Headmaster stood up and left the room. The moment he was gone, Harry felt the weight against his legs move, and Sirius was suddenly standing next to him, hugging him gently. Harry hugged him back.

"Promise me you'll never do something like that again," Sirius whispered into Harry's hair. "You scared me silly! Why couldn't you have just left all of that to the teachers?"

"Because I'm my father's son," Harry replied smartly. "Besides, Voldemort was involved, and I couldn't turn aside."

Sirius sighed, "I suppose you're right. I would have done the same in your place," he told Harry. "Still, you scared me."

"Sorry," Harry replied contritely, not really meaning it, but going through the forms anyway.

Sirius smiled, pulling away from Harry. "Well, you aren't seriously hurt, so I suppose it's alright, especially considering that you did what you needed to. Lily and James would have been proud, and I am proud, in their place."

Suddenly, he transformed back to a dog, and thumped his tail on the floor, just as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office and bustled over to Harry to check up on him, giving Sirius a stern look as she passed. It was obvious that she had tried to get of the dog often enough, and had failed every time.

She fussed over Harry for a little while, but when Neville, Blaise and Hermione turned up, she gave them twenty minutes to visit. Harry's friends told him how the entire school thought he was brilliant, and how he'd been out for the Quidditch game, in which they'd been steamrolled by Ravenclaw.

They told him how Ardeo had been getting under Madam Pomfrey's feet, and refusing to stay out when she put him out. No one was sure how he'd managed to keep getting into the Hospital wing, and Harry kept silent, knowing that Sirius would have merely transformed into a human and slipped in before resuming his canine form.

Finally, however, his friends left, and Harry closed his eyes, falling asleep, only to be woken up by Sirius. "Pomfrey was going to let to you sleep through the feast, unless you woke up on your own. I didn't think you'd want to miss it. It starts in half an hour."

Harry nodded, and Sirius returned to his dog form, while Harry noisily went through the process of 'waking up', and Madam Pomfrey came over with a look of distaste. She stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head and helping him get ready for the feast, muttering things about how he shouldn't be leaving her care so soon.

Finally, however, Harry escaped her attentions and made his way through the silent halls of Hogwarts. Everyone was already in the Great Hall, he figured, as the feast was supposed to have started five minutes ago.

At his side, Sirius padded lightly, a welcome support.

Harry reached the doors to the Great Hall, and could hear the happy talk and laughter coming from within. The moment he pushed the doors open, everyone fell silent and turned to stare at him. The Hall, Harry noted absently, was decked out in green and silver, and the silver snake of Slytherin was hanging behind the teacher's table.

In the dead silence that followed his arrival, Harry looked at his own housemates, and suddenly the Gryffindor table started clapping, and the rest of the school followed suit and the entire Hall was filled to the rafters with applause.

Harry ducked his head in embarrassment, which provoked some good-natured laughing from most of the students, as he made his way across the hall to sit between Neville and Hermione.

"Well, now that our last student has joined us," Professor Dumbledore said, standing up and instantly commanding the attention of the student body. "Before you get befuddled by food and drink, I have a few announcements to make."

The students stared at him expectantly, waiting for the announcements to be over so that they could eat and go back to talking.

"Firstly, the House Cup ... in forth place, we have Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty two points, in third place, we have Gryffindor, with four hundred and nineteen points, in second place, Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twenty six points, and in first place, Slytherin, with four hundred and seventy two points!" Slytherin burst into applause, and Harry sighed softly. It might have been nice to win the House Cup, but ...

"Yes, well done Slytherin," Dumbledore smiled, "But ... recent events must be taken into account, and I have a few ... last minute points to dish out. Firstly, to Neville Longbottom – it is hard to go on an adventure, knowing that you might get hurt, but it is harder still to offer to stay behind and miss out, but keep your friends safe. I award Gryffindor ten points for Neville's thoughtfulness."

The Gryffindors cheered happily – at least now they were coming in second place! That wasn't nearly as bad as third. "Then also, to Miss Hermione Granger, for use of logic and knowledge of magical things in general, I give Gryffindor a further fifty points!"

Gryffindor students cheered even harder – many students could be heard saying that Gryffindor was now in the lead, with the seven points more than Slytherin had. The Slytherins were looking sulky – they'd realised what had just happened too.

"Also, Miss Blaise Zabini, who sacrificed herself so her companions might go forward, and who gave a well, thought out game of chess – fifty points to Slytherin!" It was once, once again, Slytherin's turn to cheer, but Harry, Neville and Hermione all clapped politely for their friend, even if their housemates glared at them.

"But ... last but not least, we have Mr. Nemo Protectium," Dumbledore said, and everyone fell silent, turning to stare at Harry, wondering how many points Harry would get. The Slytherins were obviously hoping that Harry would only get forty or so points, but everyone else was hoping that Harry would get at least fifty.

"For outstanding courage in the face of almost certain death, and cool thinking – I award Gryffindor ... sixty points."

The Gryffindors screamed themselves _hoarse_, as did the rest of the schools, though Blaise was pretty much the only person on the Slytherin table who was clapping, and her housemates were giving her the same glare that her friends in Gryffindor had gotten only moments before.

"So, I believe we need a little change of scenery," Dumbledore remarked, and clapped his hands. Immediately the decorations changed to red and gold, and the Slytherin snake was replaced with the roaring Gryffindor lion.

---

The feast past quickly and soon enough the students were making their exhausted way to bed. Harry's back was starting to hurt from all the patting that the older students had done in congratulations.

The night passed quickly, and the next morning they all woke up early and prepared their things, getting ready to catch the train home to their parents for the summer holidays.

On the train, Harry, Neville, Hermione and Blaise took over the compartment at the very back of the train and passed the ride in quiet conversation. Harry told his friends to send their owls to a holiday house that Sirius had bought while he wasn't at Hogwarts, so that Harry could get letters from his friends without placing either of them in risk of discovery.

When the train pulled into the stations, everyone exchanged hugs and promises of correspondence, before they took off to find their parents.

Side by side, Harry and Sirius walked off the platform...

* * *

There is a further chapter of this story, which will be for tying up the loose ends (I hope) and explaining what's happening next. When I update that chapter (probably very soon) please check my bio for further details.

In other news, the lack of updates recently stems from the fact that I've been in New Zealand for what was supposed to be a ten day holiday (our plane turned back half an hour out with engine failure, or something like that, so the holiday ended up being eleven days ...) the new chapter of Shines A Light will be out shortly, for those of you who read that.

Thanks emensely, all of you who reviewed my story! I love you all, and appreciate everything you've given me in the way of support, constructive criticism and all that sort of thing. You do not know how much I value your reviews!

WolfMoon


	31. A Story Worth Writing

**_After the Dawn: The Philosopher's Stone_**

Epilogue: A Story Worth Writing

A thirteen-nearly-fourteen year old Harry Potter penned the last words with a flourish and looked around at the beaming faces of his five greatest friends, and his godfather. They were all of them at Potter Mansion, and it was the beginning of the holidays after their fourth year at school.

The past two years of school had changed them a lot, starting in second year when Luna Lovegood, an old friend who had known Harry in a different disguise, an odd Ravenclaw who was a year younger than they were, had joined their group.

Harry had found an enchanted diary in the toilets, and had, foolishly enough, told it that he was, in fact, Harry Potter, and told it the entire story behind his past. He hadn't told his friends of this, however, but when the diary used Ginny Weasley to come to life, Harry and his friends had gone to her rescue in the fearsome Chamber of Secrets, which had entailed Harry taking on a basilisk with the aid of a phoenix and a sword.

With that rescue, Ginny had joined their group and they had become quite close, though Harry had not revealed his secret, not yet at least.

In Harry's third year, one of the Death Eaters from Azkaban, one Rodolfus Lestrange, had escaped and come after Harry, because someone had told him that this 'Nemo Protectium' had threatened the Dark Lord and needed to be eliminated.

Throughout that year Harry had been constantly accompanied by Sirius, in the form of Ardeo. Dementors had been guarding the school, and Hogsmeade, as they were in various other concentrations of human life.

Harry disliked the Dementors immensely, but he coped. With another old friend of his parents teaching at Hogwarts that year – Remus Lupin – Harry and Sirius had kept a low profile. However, Remus had taught Harry, in the form of Nemo, the Patronus spell to protect him from the Dementors.

At the end of the year, Harry and his friends had discovered that Ron's rat, Scabbers, was actually Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form. Pettigrew had used a spell to disguise his form, just as Sirius had, but one month he had been lax in applying the spell to the Marauders Map, and Sirius had caught him, taking him to the Shrieking Shack.

It was ironic that the day Sirius caught Peter as the same that Lestrange caught Harry. Harry's friends had followed when Lestrange had dragged Harry to the Shrieking Shack, as a private place to kill him, after first interrogating him about his family.

Therefore the entire lot of them had been in one big happy group, though Ron Weasley had been very dense when it came to realising that Scabbers was not only a human, but a Death Eater, and that Sirius was no danger to anyone.

Lestrange had been restrained by Harry and Sirius the moment that it was possible, and the entire story had been revealed, how 'Nemo' was really Harry Potter, and how Sirius was not a Death Eater but a loyal supporter of the Light.

The group took Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew up to the castle, bound in manacles to Sirius and Remus, with Harry, Neville, Blaise and Hermione walking in a loose circle around them, wands at the ready.

Plans, however, were disturbed when the full moon revealed itself, something that they had all – including Remus – forgotten about. When Remus transformed into a werewolf, the two fugitives escaped, and Sirius transformed to try and keep the children safe. Harry had done his best to throw magic after the retreating Death Eaters, but the Dementors were already approaching, and Harry had to turn and fight them.

He'd managed to get Sirius out and his friends to the castle, but Remus fled. Sirius had followed him, and now the three of them lived in Potter Mansion. Harry had managed, with some difficulty, to wipe Ron's mind of the entire thing, and even went to the trouble of buying him a new rat, one that was identical to the form that Scabbers had showed to the world.

Hermione, Blaise and Neville, however, Harry would not try to do that too, and so told them the full story. Now, a little over a month later, they were all at Harry's house, and they had just written about Harry, Neville, Hermione and Blaise's first year at Hogwarts. Soon, they would start on their second and third years, only this time with the help of Ginny and Luna… but as for me; my adventures with this merry gang of pre-teens are over. I hope you enjoyed it all as much as I did.

* * *


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